Peyton Johnson

Education

MM, The Hartt School, University of Hartford

BM, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester

Trumpeter Peyton Johnson has enjoyed a varied career as a solo performer, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. He has also been an active educator in the public school and private studio realms.

He began his studies on the trumpet at the age of 11. His private studies began with James “Bull” Canty of the Long Bay and Florence Symphonies. During this time, he was awarded placements in All-County, All-Region, and All-State Bands. For his junior and senior year of high school he attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. While at the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities he participated in the Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Brass Quintet and Jazz Combo. Peyton has placed in the South Carolina All-State Band and All-State Jazz Band multiple times throughout his career there and was a participant in the Brevard Music Center in 2013 where he studied with Mark Hughes of the Houston Symphony, Neal Berntsen of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Mark Schubert of the Honolulu Symphony and Baylor University. His other orchestral experience includes performing in the All County Orchestra and the Carolina Youth Symphony in Greenville, SC.

He completed his undergraduate studies as double major in Trumpet Performance and Music Teaching and Learning at the Eastman School of Music studying with James Thompson, retired principal trumpet of the Montreal and Atlanta Symphonies. During his time at The Eastman School of Music, he performed with the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, Eastman Wind Orchestra, and the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble. Both his first-year and sophomore year, he was a member of an Eastman Trumpet Ensemble that went to the Large Ensemble Division of the National Trumpet Competition. Peyton has also recorded with the world renowned Eastman Wind Ensemble and Eastman Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra(as principal trumpet.) During the summer of 2016, he was a participant in the Eastern Music Festival. There he worked under the baton of Maestro Gerard Schwarz of the Seattle Symphony and performed and studied with Chris Gekker, Jeffery Kaye, and Judith Saxton.

Peyton acquired his Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance at The Hartt School studying with Professor Phil Snedecor. While at the Hartt School performed with the Hartt Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and was a featured soloist with the Hartt Brass Ensemble. Since becoming a resident of the Hartford area, he has enjoyed performing as a substitute with both the Hartford Symphony and Waterbury Symphony. He plans to be a trumpet and brass educator at the collegiate level while maintaining an active performing career in as many musical genres as possible!

Teaching Philosophy

The most important task for a teacher is to bring the best out of their students. At the root of my approach is to establish strong musical habits as well as strong fundamentals when it pertains to technique on the instrument. The balancing of these two elements, when also taking into consideration the individual student, will result in a lifelong music maker and supporter of the arts.