AARON MISENHEIMER

Aaron Misenheimer (click here for a brief printable bio) is a bass trombone soloist and advocate for audience friendly new music. As a soloist he has performed at colleges and universities throughout the US, at the Eastern Trombone Workshop, and at the North Carolina Trombone Festival. His goal in solo performance is to make the performance enjoyable for traditional audiences and to bring new audiences to the bass trombone and to instrumental music. He accomplishes this by introducing diverse styles of music to the bass trombone including jazz, hip-hop, and rock and by increasing audience interaction through theater works. His performances are equal parts fine art and entertainment and may contain serious music next to works utilizing juggling, flirting, dog squeaky toys, or dancers.

Misenheimer (b. 1978) grew up in Richfield, North Carolina, a rural town approximately 45 miles northeast of Charlotte. His mother was a church musician and his paternal grandmother a piano teacher. Misenheimer was active as a vocalist at an early age singing in numerous church choirs, community theater productions, and singing the title role in Amahl and the Night Visitors. While in high school Misenheimer began taking private lessons from Kevin Mobbs (a bass trombonist) of Pfeiffer University and performing in Pfeiffer's Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble. Misenheimer was asked to play bass trombone at Pfeiffer and later at the North Carolina Governor's School, where at age 16 he was exposed to and performed the music of Rands, Part, Corigliano, Cage, Reich, and other living composers. This early exposure to modern works and the extensive vocal background may have unknowingly played a large role in his desire to promote listenable new music.

Misenheimer attended UNC-Greensboro and studied trombone with Randy Kohlenberg. While there he worked in the music library where he had access to thousands of recordings. He used this opportunity to become familiar with contemporary composers as well as develop a better understanding of traditional literature. Following completion of the BM degree Misenheimer attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and studied with Scott Anderson. After receiving the MM degree from UNL Misenheimer attended the Pierre Monteux School where he engaged in intense study of the orchestral literature. Misenheimer considers Monteux School director Michael Jinbo a profound influence on his work ethic and career. Following Monteux Misenheimer moved to the Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX area for a year to freelance. During this time he taught approximately 50 private lessons a week which were the basis for his text How-to-Trombone. While in TX he taught at Brookhaven College.

Following a year teaching in TX Misenheimer returned to the Monteux School. His interest in solo performance growing, Misenheimer asked to perform David Fetter's Spain on the chamber music series. The concert coordinator agreed but Claude Monteux, the school's chamber coach, refused his request citing that unaccompanied works had no place in the chamber music repertoire. Misenheimer suspected that the flutist's bias was more against the bass trombone as a solo instrument than against unaccompanied works. Misenheimer's stubbornness eventually triumphed and he performed the work making him the first trombonist to ever perform an unaccompanied work at the Monteux School.

The following fall Misenheimer returned to North Carolina and his text How-to-Trombone was published by Gold Branch Music. He also planned the NC Works for Bass Trombone Tour during this time, a commissioning project designed to create new works for the bass trombone while promoting young North Carolina composers through university performances across NC. The great success of this tour prompted the Southeast Works for Bass Trombone Tour which premiered at Florida State University and subsequent tours and performances. The works Misenheimer premiered were published by Gold Branch Music which now publishes an "Aaron Misenheimer Performance Series" complete with performer commentary. In October 2006 his first solo CD "The Smell of Wet Dogs After a Summertime Rain" was released.

As a freelance musician Misenheimer has performed with numerous organizations including North Carolina Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Opera Carolina, North Carolina Dance Theater, and North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra under conductors Christof Perick, Grant Llewellyn, Leonard Slatkin and others. He has studied additionally with Jay Wise, Jan Kagarice, Royce Lumpkin, Charlie Vernon, and Gustav Hoena.

In addition to being a performer Misenheimer considers himself a music educator and is dedicated to improving the ability of student trombonists in North Carolina and increasing public awareness of the bass trombone on an international scale. To this end he has given numerous school clinics focused on the bass trombone, contemporary music, music history, and practice habits. Misenheimer was a clinician at the 2000 and 2004 North Carolina Trombone Festivals, hosted the 2006 NC Trombone Festival, and founded the Gardner-Webb Brass Fest, hosting the US Navy Brass Quintet at the event in 2006. Misenheimer is currently professor of trombone at Gardner-Webb University and is a Conn-Selmer Artist/Clinician.