Larry Zalkind, Professor of Trombone at the Eastman School of Music, began playing at the age of 8, but the trombone wasn't his first choice in instrument. When the third-grader was offered the chance to play an instrument through the LA public school's music program, he felt inspired by his favorite group, the Tijuana Brass, and asked for a trumpet. With the lineup in alphabetical order, there were no trumpets left by the Z's, so his school music teacher settled the issue by declaring, "You look like a trombone player to me!"
Larry entered the California Arts Youth program in the eighth grade, working with Los Angeles Tubist Tommy Johnson. At 17, he entered the University of Southern California as a student of Robert Marsteller. While at USC, he double-majored in Music Education and Music Performance and went on to earn a master's degree in music. Other teachers include Arnold Jacobs, Lewis Van Haney, Jimmy Stamp, Ralph Sauer, Byron Peebles, Dennis Smith and Terry Cravens.
While pursuing a doctorate at the University of Michigan, Larry won the Principal Trombone position with the Utah Symphony, which he held for 34 years. During this time, he also served on the faculty at the University of Utah. Larry is a longtime member of Summit Brass and the Grand Teton Music Festival and has performed and recorded with the symphonies of Chicago, Atlanta and St. Louis, among others, as well as the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra in Japan. He also held the position of Acting Associate Principal Trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic during the 2009-2010 season. Larry has been a clinician for numerous national and international workshops and festivals, including the National Orchestra Institute, the International Trombone Festival, the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference and the Eastern Trombone Workshop.
Larry has released three solo albums on the Summit Records label: Larry Zalkind Plays Baroque Music on the Trombone, Encore!, and Lost in the Stars: The Music of Bernstein, Weill & Sondheim, working with some of L.A.'s finest jazz musicians.
As a Yamaha Artist, Larry has been heavily involved with the Yamaha Corporation in the design of a new large-bore tenor and alto trombone, both of which he plays.
