James Thompson is Professor of Trumpet at the renowned Eastman School of Music. He came to this position after having played Principal Trumpet in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since September 1990. He has held corresponding positions with the Phoenix Symphony, the Orchestra of the State of Mexico, the National Symphony of Mexico and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He is also on the faculties of Music Academy of the West and the Lake Placid International Trumpet Seminar.
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, he was raised in Phoenix, Arizona where he began trumpet studies at the age of 10. His principal teachers included Richard Longfield and Roger Voisin. Mr. Thompson has been active both as a soloist and a teacher. He has taught trumpet and Brass Ensemble at Northern Arizona University, the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has performed as soloist with orchestras in North and South America as well as Europe. In 1979, Mr. Thompson competed in the first Maurice André International Trumpet Competition and was a prize winner. He has made recital tours of Asia, North America and South America as well as most of Europe. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Opening Ceremonies, he was seen performing a jazz/gospel trumpet solo on television by more than three billion people. Since joining the faculty of the Eastman School, he has performed as guest Principal Trumpet with orchestras that include the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as the Baltimore, Seattle, and Boston Symphony's. Mr. Thompson has also actively encouraged new compositions for the trumpet. In 1987, he performed the world premiere of Malcolm Forsyth's Concerto for Trumpet, which was written for him and the Montreal Symphony. He has recorded this concerto with the Kitchener-Waterloo Orchestra for CBC Records in May 1992. In 1990, he performed the Quebec premier of Jacques Hetu's Trumpet Concerto, and in March of 1992 he gave the world premiere of the Glenn Buhr Concerto for Trumpet, also written for him and the Montreal Symphony. Mr. Thompson can be heard on over 80 CDs with the Montreal and Atlanta Symphonies as well as solo and chamber recordings. His recordings of the Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings and Mahler Symphony No. 5 were Stereo Review's Records of the Month.
