Manuel Laureano

Biography

Principal Trumpet Manny Laureano, who joined the Minnesota Orchestra in 1981 after four years as principal with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, has performed solos in all the Orchestra’s concert series and served as an assistant conductor during the 2005-06 season. In 1983 he performed the American premiere of the Wildgans Concerto for Trumpet with Leonard Slatkin conducting. In 2003 he premiered Stephen Paulus’ Concerto for Two Trumpets and Orchestra, which was written for him and Doc Severinsen, who was then the Orchestra’s principal pops conductor. His other solos with the Orchestra have included trumpet concertos by Hummel and Haydn, Copland’s Quiet City, Clarke’s Southern Cross, Vizzutti’s Compadre, Hertel’s Concerto a cinque in D major, Bach’s Second Brandenburg Concerto, and concertos by Arutunian and Tomasi. Most recently, he was featured as the co-soloist in the Concerto for Piano and Trumpet No. 1 by Shostakovich. He has commissioned and performed several new pieces for trumpet and orchestra including works by Michael Gilbertson and Reinaldo Moya.

The Bloomington Symphony appointed Manny Laureano the Artistic Director and Conductor in April 2013. Laureano has worked with a variety of ensembles, ranging in roles from the Music Director of the Calhoun-Isles Community Band in Minneapolis, and Music Director of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, to several appearances in Young People’s Concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra. He has been in demand as a clinician for youth orchestras and bands throughout the state of Minnesota.

In 2002, Manny and his wife Claudette, were invited to guest conduct the National Suzuki Youth Orchestra Festival Orchestra and were invited to serve again in 2004. Manny served as Co-Artistic Director of the Minnesota Youth Symphonies (MYS) from 1988-2020. Laureano served as Assistant Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra during the 2005-06 season and served as conductor of the 2008-09 Minnesota All-State Orchestra.

Manny was the conductor for concerts given by Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra at Lake Harriet and various Twin Cities high schools, as well as for a Young Person’s Concert for inner city youth in North Minneapolis under the auspices of the ACME/El Sistema program. He has guest-conducted at the Eastern Music Festival, Indiana University, St. Olaf College, and the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, among other places. Manny is also in demand as a guest conductor of community orchestras and clinician for school ensembles all over the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Internationally, Laureano has served as faculty with the Cuban American Youth Orchestra organization and has given masterclasses and recitals in Puerto Rico, Germany, England and South Africa. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Juilliard School of Music as well as a third-degree black belt in Kenpo from Eclectic Martial Arts in Minnetonka, MN. Manny and Claudette live in Plymouth, Minnesota.

SPECIALTIES:
Piccolo trumpet
Conducting
Orchestra excerpts
Audition preparation

LANGUAGES:
English