Joseph Alessi

Joseph Alessi is among the world's preeminent trombonists, widely active as an orchestral player -- he is the principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic -- and as a soloist. He has also played jazz and is an important educator. Alessi was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 20, 1959. He grew up in San Rafael, California. Alessi studied the trombone with his father, also named Joseph Alessi; his mother was also musical and sang in the Metropolitan Opera Chorus in New York. At age 16, he was already skilled enough to be accepted as a member of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. Alessi studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia from 1976 to 1980. While still a student there, he became interim second trombone with the Philadelphia Orchestra and then got the job on a permanent basis, remaining there for four seasons. He spent a year as principal trombonist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and then, in 1985, he earned the same position with the New York Philharmonic. He remained there as of the mid-2020s. In 1986, he joined the faculty at the Juilliard School in New York; he continued to hold that position as well in the mid-2020s. From his first solo appearance in 1990, in Paul Creston's Fantasy for Trombone, Alessi frequently appeared as a soloist with the Philharmonic. The following year, Alessi made his recording debut on the Summit Records label with the holiday album Trombones Under the Tree. In 1993, he gave the world premiere of Christopher Rouse's Concerto for trombone and orchestra, which the Philharmonic had commissioned. His repertory includes many 20th century and contemporary works by such composers as Leonard Bernstein, George Crumb, and Eric Ewazen. Appearing as a soloist with such orchestras as the Helsinki Philharmonic, Seoul Philharmonic, and New Japan Philharmonic, Alessi developed a worldwide reputation. He has often performed in trombone chamber groups, including the New York Trombone Quartet, the Four of a Kind Trombone Quartet, and the Slide Monsters Trombone Quartet. In addition to Summit, he has recorded for Naxos, Cala, and, in 2023, Navona, where he released the album Joe's Tango: Concerto for Trombone & Other Works. That year, he gave the U.S. premiere of the Trombone Concerto by jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea, which had been written for him and which he had premiered in 2021 with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra. ~ James Manheim, Rovi