Dr. Peyden Shelton has established a distinguished reputation as a multifaceted performer and educator. He has collaborated with various ensembles, including the Salt Lake Symphony, Reston Symphony Orchestra, Winds of the Blue Ridge, Cornell University Wind Ensemble, University of Utah Wind Ensemble, and numerous other collegiate wind bands and chamber ensembles across the United States. Dr. Shelton has showcased solo performances and guest artist appearances at numerous universities and music festivals, such as the Virginia Tech Trumpet Festival, Fredericksburg Brass Institute, Association of Brazilian Trumpeters International Conference, and numerous others. As an ensemble musician, he has performed with various groups as both an ensemble member and principal player, including the Utah Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Symphony One, Mobile Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony. In 2019, he joined the internationally renowned Mirari Brass Quintet, embarking on a tour of North America as a featured ensemble performer at countless chamber and concert series. Additionally, he is one of the founding members of Fifth Bridge, an electro-acoustic trumpet ensemble that also features other trumpet artists such as Jason Crafton, Gabriel DiMartino, Kelly Rossum, Ashley Hall, and Nadje Noordhuis.
As an educator, Dr. Shelton currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Trumpet at the University of Utah School of Music. Prior to his tenure at the University of Utah, he served as a Lecturer of Trumpet at both the University of Rochester and Cornell University. Dr. Shelton has engaged in the presentation of clinics and masterclasses at various universities and conferences throughout the United States, including the International Trumpet Guild Conference, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, ABT International Festival, and the International Horn Symposium. Notably, Dr. Shelton also served as the host for the 49th International Trumpet Guild’s Conference, which was held in Salt Lake City in May 2025. His ongoing research project, titled “The Trumpet Repertoire Project,” has facilitated the commissioning of numerous works, including Frank Ticheli’s Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble. Dr. Shelton premiered and recorded this work in April 2022 with the University of Utah Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Brian Sproul.
Dr. Peyden Shelton holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music (Doctor of Musical Arts), the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music (Master of Music), and Virginia Tech (Bachelor of Arts). His compositions have been released on Summit Records, SNOtone Records, and Mark Records, and his playing is featured in the fourth edition of the Samuel Adler Orchestration Textbook by W.W. Norton & Company. Peyden’s debut solo album, Blazing New Trails, was released on Summit Records in March 2023 and is available on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.