Trumpet 'superstar' and ASU alumnus joins School of Music

Josef Burgstaller, world-renowned trumpeter, will join the ASU School of Music as associate professor of trumpet beginning in August 2019. Burgstaller is a double alumnus of Arizona State University, receiving a Bachelor of Music in performance (’93) and Master of Music (’04).

“I am so excited to return to ASU full circle, to the community that had such an enormous role in enabling me to become who I am today, as a person and an artist-teacher,” said Burgstaller, who was a recipient of ASU’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2003. “The values that ASU instilled in me as a young person have propelled me around the world countless times, and it has been my mission to pass it on in my teaching.”

Called “quite simply, a superstar of the trumpet” by JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Joe Burgstaller has captivated audiences throughout the world. Falletta went on to say that “his stunning musicianship, gorgeous tone and absolute charm make his concerts unforgettable.”

His career has encompassed a wide range of experience — international soloist, chamber musician, teacher, modern music enthusiast, entrepreneur, guest orchestral musician, recording artist, crossover musician, masterclass clinician, Broadway musician, arranger and composer and recording producer. A Yamaha Performing Artist, Burgstaller tours worldwide. His recent appearances include Hong Kong, Shanghai, Canada, Germany, Italy, U.S. Virgin Islands and 22 U.S. states as a soloist, chamber musician, guest orchestral musician and a clinician with his groundbreaking master classes for all instruments called “Change Your Mind, Change Your Playing.”

“We are pleased to welcome Josef Burgstaller to the brass faculty in the ASU School of Music,” said Heather Landes, director of the school. “Mr. Burgstaller’s varied career as a musician is an excellent match with our faculty as we work to prepare our students with the necessary tools to succeed as 21st-century musicians and creative leaders.”

Burgstaller said a major part of his teaching philosophy is the belief that career momentum, professional attitude, artistic excellence and success begins during school.

His teaching career actually began as an ASU undergraduate student, he said, with his inspiring, enthusiastic artist-teachers — David Hickman, Sam Pilafian, Rodney Rogers, Robert Spring, Ellon Carpenter, James DeMars and Robert Oldani to name a few — who were his creative and entrepreneurial models. Burgstaller said he learned that performing and teaching are synergistic parts of the same mission — sharing music to literally change the world for the better and bring people together.

Burgstaller said he is excited to continue the tradition of the ASU trumpet studio as one of the very best in the nation.

“I’ve been so delighted through the years to see ASU leading the way in addressing the changing needs and realities of the music business,” Burgstaller said.  “While remaining strongly rooted to the principles that have always made it a top-destination music school, ASU has aggressively and mindfully evolved to meet the needs of the modern music business.”

Burgstaller was a member of the avant-garde Meridian Arts Ensemble for six years, was part of the Canadian Brass for eight years as a trumpeter, arranger and soloist, and was one of the most popular soloists at Columbia Artists’ Community Concerts, performing 60 solo concerts annually. He has performed in more than 50 music festivals with more than 45 orchestras and has taught and performed at over 80 universities, conservatories and colleges.

His extensive discography includes three top-10 Billboard hits and several solo CDs, with his latest, “License to Thrill,” the subject of an hourlong segment on The INNERView, Korea’s Arirang Television and Sirius-XM Classical Radio. His last two classical/jazz-hybrid crossover CDs with Grammy-nominated pianist Hector Martignon were top-50 on the JazzRadio charts and the Roots Radio Report.

“My career momentum began at ASU, and the values that I represent and espouse started in earnest as a student and have enabled me to thrive in multiple arenas,” Bergstaller said. “I feel that I, and the way my career has evolved, am a natural extension of ASU’s own continuing evolution and a perfect fit for an exciting reunion. I am looking forward to working with my students to replicate that same critical momentum and experience in their own individual, tailored ways to propel them forward into their careers.”