Jose Sibaja

Biography

José Sibaja is one of the most highly acclaimed Costa Rican trumpet players of his generation, with worldwide audiences and broadcast media in the Classical, Latin, Jazz, and Pop genres. His career ranges from international appearances as an orchestral soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, National Arts Centre Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, Utah Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica among others; to worldwide tours with Ricky Martin for the Vuelve and Livin’ la Vida Loca tours. Currently, José plays lead trumpet with the world renown brass quintet, Boston Brass.

Proclaimed internationally as “a major young talent, the next Wynton Marsalis,” José played his solo debut at age 17 with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, with only five years of trumpet and musical training. Receiving his music education at the New World School of the Arts and the University of Miami, José’s vast repertoire and masterful artistry make him a prominent figure in a new generation of musicians. He has held positions as principal trumpet with the Miami Symphony, the Sinfonieta de Caracas and Orquesta Sinfonica Venezuela, as well as a position with the Dallas Brass.

With televised performances on the American Music Awards, MTV Awards, Grammy Awards, and the Latin Grammy Awards, as well as TV appearances in more than 40 countries including the biggest U.S. late-night talk shows, José’s talents are not limited to live audience performances. Having recorded with artists Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Luis Enrique, Rey Ruiz, Tito Nieves, Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan among others, Sibaja redefines the idea of a concert artist with a rich mix of stylistic genres surpassing the stereotype of today’s classical musician.

Most currently, Sibaja can be heard with the Boston Brass on their Rewired, Reminiscing, and Simple Gifts CDs, and on his solo records, Latitudes, Inner Voice and Spanish Air. He is a performing artist for the Yamaha Music Corporation giving concerts, clinics and masterclasses worldwide, and is Associate Professor of Trumpet for the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University.

SPECIALTIES:
Lead playing
Performance anxiety
Trumpet embouchure
Technique
Latin jazz

LANGUAGES:
English, Spanish