Burt Mason
trombone

Burt Mason currently serves as Principal Trombone of both the Chamber Orchestra of New York and the Greenwich Village Orchestra. Recent appointments have included solo trombone for the Miami Music Project and Principal Trombone and soloist of the New York Staff Band of The Salvation Army. He has performed several times with the New York Philharmonic in addition to numerous ensembles and orchestras. He has also appeared as soloist with numerous ensembles, performing throughout North America, The United Kingdom, Europe and Australia.

Mr. Mason has performed under the baton of notable conductors such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Skitch Henderson, Alan Gilbert and Sidney Harth amongst others in world-renowned venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and the Apollo Theater.

Mr. Mason began playing trombone at age 12 but did not receive any formal lessons until he entered college at the Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam). Despite this lack of formal training, his natural skills as a trombonist placed him as a finalist in the first annual New York Philharmonic Young Performers Audition, selection for the esteemed MENC All-Eastern Band, the NYSSMA All-State Band and Orchestra, as well as winning several local music contests. While in college at the Crane School of Music, Mr. Mason won the Crane School of Music’s most prestigious performing contest, the annual Crane Concerto Competition as a sophomore.

As a recording artist, Mr. Mason has been featured as a soloist on a variety of recordings with the New York Staff Band on the Triumphonic label. He has also completed recordings with Chamber Orchestra of New York, which was released on the Naxos label.

Mr. Mason has completed his Masters of Music in Orchestral Performance at the Manhattan School of Music studying with David Finlayson of the New York Philharmonic. He has had additional studies with Joseph Alessi of the New York Philharmonic, Weston Sprott of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Mark Hartman at the Crane School of Music. Outside of performing, he actively composes and arranges.