Jacob West

Jacob received his BM in trumpet performance from St. Olaf College in 2020 and a MM in trumpet performance from CU Boulder in 2022. His most notable mentors have been Dr. Martin Hodel (St. Olaf), Dr. Ryan Gardner (CU Boulder), Justin Bartels (Colorado Symphony), and Peter Bond (ret. Metropolitan Opera). His trumpet ensemble received the first place award in the 2022 National Trumpet Competition large ensemble division and he advanced to the semifinals of the graduate solo division in the same year. Jacob plays regularly around the Twin Cities as a soloist and with his brass quintet, and he has played with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, and Twin Cities Brass Band.

Jacob has been teaching privately for 6 years, with students ranging from beginners to advanced high school players. His teaching approach is student-centric and pairs strong fundamental routines with regular feedback from students about their playing interests and what does and does not work for them. Students have excelled in district solo competitions and have been accepted into all state band and orchestra ensembles in Nebraska, Colorado, and Minnesota. He is happy to discuss lesson discounts on a need basis and is comfortable traveling, teaching remotely, or teaching out of his home in Uptown.