Larry Zalkind, Professor of Trombone at the Eastman School of Music, began playing at the age of eight, though trombone wasn’t his first choice. When the third grader was offered the chance to play in public school, inspired by his favorite group, the Tijuana Brass, he asked for a trumpet. But with an alphabetical lineup, there were no trumpets left by the Z’s; so, his school music teacher declared, “You look like a trombone player to me!”
Larry entered the Cal Arts Youth program in the eighth grade, working with Los Angeles Tubist Tommy Johnson. At 17, he entered the University of Southern California as a student of Robert Marsteller. At USC, he double majored in music education and performance, earning a master’s degree in music. Other teachers included Arnold Jacobs, Lewis Van Haney, Jimmy Stamp, Ralph Sauer, Byron Peebles, Keith Brown, Dennis Smith, and Terry Cravens. He also studied jazz improvisation with Charlie Shoemake.
While pursuing a doctorate at the University of Michigan, Larry won the Principal Trombone position with the Utah Symphony, which he held for 34 years. During this time, he also served on the faculty at the University of Utah. Larry was a longtime member of Summit Brass and the Grand Teton Music Festival. He has performed and recorded with many orchestras internationally, including the symphonies of Atlanta, Chicago, and St. Louis. He held the position of Acting Associate Principal Trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic during the 2009-2010 season during Gustavo Dudamel’s first season. He has been a clinician for numerous international workshops and festivals, including the National Orchestra Institute, the International Trombone Festival, the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference, and the Eastern Trombone Workshop.
Larry has released three recordings on the Summit Records label: Larry Zalkind Plays Baroque Music on the Trombone, Encore!, and Lost in the Stars: The Music of Bernstein, Weill & Sondheim, working with some of L.A.’s finest jazz musicians.
This year, Larry will perform many master classes, and he will return to the National Orchestra Institute and teach and perform in China, along with the Eastman Summer Trombone Institute.
As a Yamaha Artist, Larry has been heavily involved in the design of the 882OR large-bore tenor as well as the current custom alto trombone, both of which he currently plays.