James A. Martin (he/him) is a bass trombonist, conductor, and educator in St. Louis. Mr. Martin is Associate Professor of Instrumental Studies at St. Charles Community College. He was the bass trombonist with the Buddy Rich Big Band and with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale of Florence under Zubin Mehta, having extensively performed, toured, and recorded with both groups.
Mr. Martin has played bass and contrabass trombone with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, including performances at Carnegie Hall, a 1995 tour of Japan, and on several recordings. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Additionally, Mr. Martin has made appearances at the International Trombone Festival and performs at the Fox Theater, the Muny, Jazz St. Louis, and is a member of the St. Louis Brass Ensemble. He is on the Advisory Board of the Saint Louis Low Brass Collective.
He received a BA in Mathematics and Music Education from Saint Louis University and an MM in Trombone Performance with additional DMA studies from the Eastman School of Music. An in-demand clinician with area schools and universities, Mr. Martin also co-teaches at the Eastman Summer Trombone Institute since its inception in 2006. He designed the Marcinkiewicz “Signature Series Trombone Mouthpiece 106 – Jim Martin (bass trombone)” and is an S.E. Shires Artist since 1998.
