Josef Burgstaller

"dashing… dazzled like sheet-lightning". 

-The Washington Post-

"world-class... breathtaking". 

-The FrankfurterHoff (Germany)-

"quite simply, a superstar of the trumpet." 

-JoAnn Falletta, Music Director, Virginia Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic-

"superhuman musicality"  

-The Syracuse Standard (NY)-

"full of heart... "  

-Klassik Magazine (Cologne, Germany)-

"No one can deny the virtuosity and flamboyant musicianship of Mr. Burgstaller. His singing tone, lightning technique, and extroverted phrasing place him in a different league."  -The International Trumpet Guild Journal-

Called “quite simply, a superstar of the trumpet” by conductor JoAnn Falletta, multi-genre international soloist JOE BURGSTALLER connects with audiences throughout the world with his captivating sound, dazzling virtuosity and engaging personality. Known for his creativity and as a story-teller with his instrument, Joe is well-known as a former long-time member and featured trumpeter/arranger with the famed Canadian Brass. He has performed in front of more than 45 orchestras (Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, New Jersey, Virginia, et.al), in more than 50 Music Festivals, and has performed and taught at over 120 universities, conservatories and colleges.  

Joe tours worldwide as a soloist (most recent appearances include Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Winnipeg, Hamburg, Bologna, US Virgin Islands, etc.), as a chamber musician (New York Brass Arts Trio), as a crossover artist (classical/jazz crossover group BurgstallerMartignon4), as a guest orchestral musician (recently including Guest Principal of the NDR -Hamburg, Guest Principal of the Malaysian Philharmonic, and in the section of the New York Philharmonic), and as a clinician (more than 120 universities and conservatories so far) with his groundbreaking masterclasses for all instruments called "Change Your Mind, Change Your Playing®”. 

Burgstaller’s discography includes hit solo CDs (License to Thrill and The Virtuoso Trumpet) and three Top-10 Billboard hits with Canadian Brass. Joe and "License To Thrill" were the subject of an hour-long segment on Korea’s Arirang Television (100 million viewers), as well as an hour-long feature on Sirius-XM Classical Radio. His recent Classical/Jazz-Hybrid crossover CDs with Grammy-nominated pianist Hector Martignon (Bach’s Secret Files and Mozart’s Blue Dreams) were Top-50 on the JazzRadio charts and the Roots Radio Report (under Paul Simon but right above the Beastie Boys).  Joe’s inventive music videos for both Mozart’s Blue Dreams and Bach’s Secret Files were debuted worldwide by Yamaha America and Yamaha Europe in a special industry-leading video-podcast release.

As a former long-time member and featured trumpeter/arranger with Canadian Brass, Joe toured worldwide with the Brass, performing in recital and with orchestra (Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, New Jersey, Seattle, et al.) as well as contributing arrangements to the group.  Recordings that spotlight Joe include a Juno-nominated release, Magic Horn, (AllMusicGuide.com heralded Joe's "superb set of arrangements" of Astor Piazzolla), BACH (includes his pyrotechnical arrangement of the Bach-Vivaldi Concerto in D), Legends (featuring his La Virgen de la Macarena – “Unbelievable Virtuosity” – DigitalIndie.net) and High Society ("Burgstaller's piccolo playing throughout this album is no less than perfect… I had to pinch myself for thinking that I heard a high clarinet!" - Brass Herald Magazine).  Three Canadian Brass CDs featuring Joe became Top-10 Billboard hits.

Prior to joining the Brass, Joe was one of the all-time most popular soloists at Columbia Artists’ Community Concerts (alumni include Van Cliburn and Heifetz).  He was North America's busiest trumpet recitalist, performing nearly 60 solo concerts every season with his Joe Burgstaller: The Rafael Méndez Project.  He developed a community engagement component that took the circuit by storm, and his lauded audience-building plans added over 30 new season-ticket subscribers per presenter.  As a Yamaha Artist and Clinician, Joe reached thousands of students every season, and The Instrumentalist Magazine dubbed Joe "The Next Méndez".  Dr. Robert Méndez, son of the legendary trumpeter, wrote of Joe: "He's mastered my father's works."

Together with Latin-Jazz piano virtuoso Hector Martignon, Joe co-leads the ground-breaking crossover jazz quartet BurgstallerMartignon4, a New York City-based crossover group that features Grammy and Oscar-nominated musicians.  Their first recording Mozart’s Blue Dreams & Other Crossover Fantasies debuted directly into the Top50 JazzRadio charts and continues to receive rave reviews (“Ethereal moments of true beauty and genius… hip and approachable.” – AllAboutJazz.com; “Stunning!” – JazzNotes). BM4 records for Summit Records (North America) and CARE Music Group (Europe). 

Joe is a founding member of the New York Brass Arts Trio, which has brought three world-class virtuoso soloists together to revolutionize the brass trio, and are being hailed as the first brass group ever to play with the sensitivity and musicality of a string quartet. Burgstaller is joined by french hornist David Jolley (founding member of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) and trombonist Haim Avitsur (Symphony Magazine Emerging Artist), and have forged together Classical, Light Classical and Classical/Jazz masterworks of all eras and adapted them for this fantastic and versatile instrumentation. 

Burgstaller was also member of New York City's Meridian Arts Ensemble (1995-2001), and with that group toured worldwide at concert halls and clubs including NYC's Knitting Factory and CBGB's, and Amsterdam's Bimhuis, twice received the ASCAP "Adventurous Programming Award" (shared with the Kronos Quartet) and recorded several of his own compositions and arrangements. Gramophone Magazine heralded Joe's original work for the MAE, Lullaby as "an understated gem."

As a teacher, he has been called a “Talent-Whisperer”, and as Associate Professor of Trumpet at Arizona State University he leads a dynamic, one-of-a-kind trumpet studio that comprehensively prepares students for the demands of today's music world, focusing on Artistic Development, Versatility, Entrepreneurship and Career Growth. His Change Your Mind, Change Your Playing classes have been met with great success (and, frankly, relief) by thousands of participants across the world as he has demystified efficient learning, peak performance, stage fright and human connection. The Armed Forces School of Music identified Joe’s teachings as an integral part of their coursework, and he served as a special clinician for all of their instrumentalists from 2012-2015. 

Joe is also a pioneer in online-education, and is the creator and host of the LIVE weekly Trumpet Warmup Show, livestreamed on Facebook (averaging 2500 viewers in 20+ countries) and through BandDirector.com (access to 31,000 band directors), Yamaha Europe and Yamaha North America. The Show highlights Joe delivering warmup, pedagogical and teacher segments, and empowers his students as they host their own 2-minute segments, which include: Tips for the Entrepreneurial Student; Poetry Corner; Trumpet News; Advice for Freshman; Webmaster Q&A; Trumpet Talks with Trumpet Titans (interviews); Life Hacks; Practicing Tips; Trumpet Cultural Ambassadors (often in Chinese and Korean).

Joe was a child prodigy, beginning the cornet between at age five.  By age twelve he was improvising jazz and soloing with area bands and jazz clubs, and by fifteen was the youngest professional in the Virginia Opera Orchestra. He received both his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Arizona State University (studying with Regents’ Professor David Hickman). Other teachers and mentors include Anthony Plog, Stephen Carlson, Jonathan Greenburg, Gary Gompers and David Fedderly.  In 2003, Joe was awarded Arizona State University's Inaugural "Distinguished Alumnus Award" and the Inaugural "Outstanding Alumnus Award" from Eastern Music Festival.

Joe Burgstaller is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

"Burgstaller is a 'Talent Whisperer' in the truest sense, mixing intuition, experience and an uncommon talent for enabling students to rise above their own limiting beliefs."

-Dr. Stephen Paul Adler, Ph.D, CGP, B.C.E.P.T.S. - Director ACT Institute-

"An absolutely life-changing experience. His teaching penetrates and explores the depth and dimension of our psyche and what it means to be a performer... rare sensitivity, commitment and expertise."

-Naomi Kudo, Pianist - Winner 2007 Chopin Prize (Juilliard School) & 2008 Gilmore Young Artists Award-

"Never in my tenure as a teacher has an artist make the impact on the students that you did."

-John Hillsman, formerly Director of The McDonalds All-American High School Band-

"quite simply, a superstar of the trumpet. His prodigious technical ability is just the beginning- his stunning musicianship, gorgeous tone and absolute charm make his concerts unforgettable."

-JoAnn Falletta, Music Director, Virginia Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic-

"One of the most successful classical trumpeters in North American history."

-Montecito Journal, Santa Barbara-

"Joe Burgstaller is not just a fabulous musician and entertainer, he is a superb trumpet player.  He demonstrates one of the purest trumpet sounds I’ve heard, and his remarkable agility and versatility across any genre is stunning.  Best of all, he is a delightful human being, and a load of fun to work with!"

- Thomas Wilkins, Music Director, Omaha Symphony; Principal Guest Conductor, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Youth & Family Concerts, The Boston Symphony -

"Joe Burgstaller is a superb musician and a wonderful presence on stage.  I would have him back anytime, and can’t recommend him enough."

- Matthew Savery, Music Director, Wyoming Symphony Orchestra and Bozeman Symphony-

" Joe has played Bach’s staggeringly difficult Brandenburg Concerto #2 with me many times.  His performance is always flawless, sensitive and apparently effortless!"."

- Anthony Newman, Conductor, “The High Priest of the Harpsichord” (TIME Magazine)

"dashing… dazzled like sheet-lightning"

-The Washington Post-

"superhuman musicality… Burgstaller even played two trumpets at the same time!"

-The Syracuse Standard (NY)-

"full of heart... "

-Klassik Magazine (Cologne, Germany)-

"Burgstaller was a true miracle... (!)"

-Der Neuer Merker (Munich, Germany)-

"a meteoric career"

-The Arizona Republic-

"world-class... breathtaking"

-The FrankfurterHoff (Germany)-

"Burgstaller continually delighted the audience with his musical dexterity... indefatigable..."

-The Ann Arbor News (MI)-

"gorgeous flugelhorn... superb arrangements..."

-AllMusicGuide.com-

"Burgstaller's piccolo playing throughout this album is no less than perfect… I had to pinch myself for thinking that I heard a high clarinet!"

- Brass Herald Magazine -

"flashy, perfectly executed solos... awesome on the piccolo trumpet."

-Times-Union (Tory, NY)-

" Unbelievable Virtuosity."

- DigitalIndie.net -

" The Next (Rafael) Méndez"

- The Instrumentalist Magazine -

"a dazzling display of what could be done with a trumpet."

-Stratford Beacon Herald (Ontario, Canada)-

"delighted the audience with an amazing display of skill and technique, a virtuosic performance, plus the passion of a display of superb musicianship."

-The Pine Bluff Commercial (AR)-

"thoroughly enchanted the audience... dazzling technique and artistry."

-The Paris Beacon-News (IL)-

"enthralled the audience with an almost unbelievable mastery of his instrument..."

-The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal (PA)-

"beautiful, filled with expression..."

-The Concordia Blade-Empire (KS)-

"dazzled the audience... his playing was flawlessly stunning with perfect technique and control"

-The International Trumpet Guild Journal - 

"a rare and enriching performance... incredible musical talent..."

-The Delta County Independent (CO)-

"Josef Burgstaller's fingers were a blur, with every Gatling gun-style note delivered perfectly on his piccolo trumpet during a Bach number."

-Argus Leader (SD)-

"Josef Burgstaller's [original composition] Lullaby is an understated gem"

-Gramophone Magazine-

"hip and approachable... majestically sublime beauty... marvelous!" 

AllAboutJazz.com (Dan McClenaghan)

“This quartet is on to something quite marvelous: a hybrid interplay between jazz and classical music - even opera - that should please fans of both genres, and expose the separatists to the virtues of each form...delightful...”

JazzNotes (Ken Franckling)

"ingenious... ethereal moments of true beauty and genius" 

AllAboutJazz.com (C. Michael Bailey)

"Masterly combined mind and heart"

Schwabische Post (Germany)

 “…a superb marriage of Jazz and Classical music. Burgstaller’s tone on trumpet is gorgeous and expressive… The virtuosity of these group of musicians allows them to played with comfort either Jazz, Latin Jazz or Classical.”

-JazzTimes (Wilbert Sostre)-

“Stunning... (Mozart) surely would consider (this) hip if he revisited the planet to jam with them."

-JazzNotes (Ken Franckling)

“Recommended. Very tasteful for lovers of both genres.”

-RadioIo.com (Michael Matheny)-

“very engaging music, beautifully crafted and likely to please both the jazz and classical listener.”

-Jazz Society of Oregon-

“…a very entertaining jazz classical mix that served the old and young masters of both genres to all honor.”

-Augsburger Allegemeine (Germany)-

"Creates a stirring spell... Combines centuries–separated styles to a new admirable listening experience... A refreshing, extraordinary listening pleasure"

-Donau Kurier (Germany)-

 “…delightful… rich… delicious… dramatic… brilliant… Fans with open ears will be rewarded by hearing these outstanding performances.”

-AllMusicGuide (Ken Dryden)-

“…a superior instrumental performance in itself, with Burgstaller's quiet trumpet stylings.”

-AllMusicGuide (James Manheim)-