Zsolt Szabo

Biography

<br><b>Zsolt Szabo</b>, DMA, is the Associate Professor of Trombone/Euphonium at Western Carolina University, and performs as Principal Trombone with the Brevard Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, he is a member of The Hungarian Trombone Connection and Slides in Harmony Trombone Quartet. Previously, Szabo was the Principal Trombonist of the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra in Chicago. Between 2009-2011, Szabo was a full-time member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago where he worked with conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Pierre Boulez, David Robertson, Xian Zhan, EsaPekka Salonen, Jaap van Zweden, Erik Nielsen, Markus Stenz, Larry Rachleff, and Cliff Colnot. In 2010, Szabo performed in Chicago and Carnegie Hall with Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra where he has been a substitute for the orchestra on other occasions as well. He has performed as a guest with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra and internationally with the Monterrey Symphony Orchestra (Mexico) and the WCIT World Orchestra (Armenia). Szabo has also performed with numerous other orchestras and chamber ensembles in North Carolina, Illinois, Tennessee, South Carolina, Iowa, and Indiana.<br><br>In 2019, Szabo was invited to present a masterclass at the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in France. The previous year, Szabo taught a masterclass at the the Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia. In addition, Szabo has given guest masterclasses at The University of Florida, The University of Tennessee, University of Georgia, Appalachian State University, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Eastern Illinois University, Texas Tech University, and the “Liszt Ferenc” Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary.<br><br>Prior to joining the faculty at WCU, Szabo received the highly-competitive Iowa Performance Fellowship Award at The University of Iowa School of Music where he was a Teaching Fellow while completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Trombone Performance and Pedagogy. In the spring semester of 2012, Szabo taught as a Trombone Lecturer at Western Illinois University.<br><br>Szabo received a DMA from The University of Iowa, a Performance Diploma from Roosevelt University Music Conservatory as a student of Jay Friedman, a Master of Music Degree from Western Illinois University, and a Bachelor of Music Degree from “Gheorge Dima” Music Academy.<br><br>Szabo can be heard on the Hungarian Trombone Connection’s “Overture” album, as well as American Trombone Quartet’s “Premier” and Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet’s “Celebrating 25 Years” recordings.<br><br>Zsolt Szabo is an Edwards Artist/Clinician and performs exclusively on Edwards trombones.

Education

• DMA, University of Iowa
• MM, Western Illinois University
• BM, Gheorghe Dima Music Academy, Cluj Napoca, Romania