Guest Artist: Byron Stripling

With a contagious smile and captivating charm, trumpet virtuoso, BYRON STRIPLING, has ignited audiences internationally. Selected by conductor John Williams of the Boston Pops Orchestra, as featured soloist on the PBS television special, "Evening at Pops," STRIPLING enjoys a global reputation. From Broadway and Basin Street to the Ginza and London's West End, his burnished sound has electrified millions.

An accomplished actor and singer, STRIPLING was chosen, following a world wide search, to star in the lead role of the Broadway bound musical, "Satchmo." Many will remember his featured cameo performance in the television movie, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," and his critically acclaimed virtuoso trumpet and riotous comedic performance in the 42nd Street production of "From Second Avenue to Broadway."

Television viewers have enjoyed his work as featured soloist on the worldwide telecast of The Grammy Awards. Millions have heard
his trumpet and voice on television commercials, TV theme songs including "20/20," CNN, and soundtracks of favorite movies.

Since his Carnegie Hall debut with Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops, STRIPLING has become a pops orchestra favorite
throughout the country, soloing with Boston Pops, Virginia Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Boca Raton Pops, Knoxville Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, and American Jazz Philharmonic, to name a few. 

STRIPLING earned his stripes as lead trumpeter and soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Thad Jones and Frank Foster. He also played and recorded extensively with the bands of
Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, and Buck Clayton in addition to The Lincoln Center Classical Jazz Orchestra , The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and The GRP All Star Big Band.

STRIPLING enjoys conducting Seminars and Master Classes at colleges, universities, conservatories, and high schools. His
motivational talks, combined with his incomparable wit and charm, make him a favorite guest speaker to groups of all ages. 

STRIPLING was educated at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan. One of his greatest joys is to return, periodically, to Eastman and Interlochen as a special guest lecturer.

A resident of New York, STRIPLING lives in the country with his daughter and wife, Alexis.

What the critics say about Byron Stripling...

New York Times (Peter Watrous) "Mr. Stripling is a powerful trumpeter, at ease with the most complicated and detailed bebop lines and an open-armed Armstrong swagger."

Los Angeles Times (Charles Champlin)- " ... is one of the weekend's remarkable debuts... was Byron Stripling, a towering and powerful trumpet player, who has been compared to a later Louis Armstrong but whose lightning runs and startling intervals are right out of bop. When he played... the effect was of an abbreviated history of jazz in two choruses."

Pittsburg Post-Gazette (Peter B. King)- "Byron Stripling blew some butter-toned, full vibrato high -register trumpet that was the most direct conjuring of Gillespie by any of the trumpeters last night."

San Francisco Examiner (Philip Elwood)- "The Basie band did "A Night in Tunisia" with Byron Stripling featured on trumpet. It was a beautiful job, a fine tribute to Dizzy Gillespie. Then, to add frosting on the cake, Stripling took a coda wherein he blew out the lights with an interpolation of Louis Armstrong's 'West End Blues' cadenza."

Boston Herald (Bob Young)- "...Stripling let loose with a fusillade of roaring notes that nearly blew down the piano top - - and he was standing off in a corner 15 feet from the microphone."

The Denver Post (Jeff Bradley)- "Trumpeter Byron Stripling wailed New Orleans-style but also negotiated bebop runs like Kenny Dorham and had the ... audience shouting for joy with his earthly blues singing."

Saint Paul Pioneer Press (Bob Protzman)- "Stripling has... a strong, pure tone well into the upper register, superb control (demonstrated time and again on long-held notes) and a fluid attack that produced lengthy, well articulated melodic lines. No mere showoff, however, he played with laudable taste and musicality..." 

New York Post (Lee Jeske)- "... the show as constantly stolen by the bristling virtuosity of Marsalis, Faddis and Stripling, who kicked things off in fine style with Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues." 

Village Voice (Garry Giddins)- "... and Bryon Stripling, the leading Armstrong-legatee of the '90s, playing Pops, Pops, and more Pops- - not just the tunes, mind you, but the feeling, the ideas, the erotic glow." 

Los Angeles Times (Leonard Feather)- "In between were Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, the Brazilian Claudio Roditi and the impassioned, high-powered Byron Stripling."