PHILLIP CHASE HAWKINS

ABOUT

Originally from Spartanburg County, SC, Phillip Chase Hawkins is the Principal Trumpet of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2013.  He is also a member of the Fountain City Brass Band based in Kansas City, MO and Saxton’s Cornet Band from Frankfort, KY. His previously held positions include Visiting Professor of Trumpet at Centre College in Danville, KY from 2012-15, Interim Professor of Trumpet at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY from 2012-13, Extra Musician with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in Rochester, NY from 2008-10, Extra Musician with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra from 2011-14, Principal Trumpet of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria in 2012, University of Kentucky Faculty Brass Quintet from 2010-2014, and the Lexington Brass Band from 2010-15.

Chase began his musical education at the age of 10 and has studied with a variety of professional trumpeters and musicians. He holds both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of James Thompson. At Eastman, Chase was awarded the distinguished Performer’s Certificate, the prestigious Howard Hanson Scholarship, and was the inaugural recipient of the Sidney Mear Trumpet Prize. His education continued to the University of Kentucky and eventually to the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the instruction of Alan Siebert and Phil Collins. He has also studied extensively with Vincent Penzarella, Vince DiMartino and John Sizemore.

He has had the opportunity of performing with professional ensembles, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Orchestra, and Le Château de la Voix Baroque Orchestra. Chase has performed in concert halls and recital venues around the world including:  New York’s Carnegie Hall; Chicago’s Midwest Clinic; Eastman School of Music's Kodak Hall in; the International Trumpet Guild Conference, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China; the National Conservatory of Music in Lima, Peru; Concert Hall in Tianjin, China; the Kasematten and Stefaniensaal in Graz, Austria; Brucknerhaus in Linz, Austria, among others. He has also had the wonderful privilege of performing under the direction of great conductors including Kurt Masur, James Levine, Philippe Entremont, Alexander Kalajdžić, Edoardo Müller, and Keith Lockhart.

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As a winner of multiple national and international competitions, most recently Chase participated with the Fountain City Brass Band, taking first prize in the Championship Division at the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Competition in 2016. In 2014, he won first place in the Grand Valley State University International Solo Competition. In 2013, he took first prize at the NABBA Solo Competition in the high lyric category. In 2012, he was the first place winner of the National Trumpet Competition in the Graduate division (taking second place in 2011), as well as winning first place in the National Brass Symposium Solo Competition.

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As an active soloist and recitalist, Chase take great pleasure in advocating and commissioning new works by contemporary composers. He has most recently been involved in 4 new commissions for trumpet, including commissioning and performing two works by Australian-based composer Brendan Collins, titled Sonata for Trumpet and Piano and Spy vs Spy for Brass Quintet. He also commissioned Mo42 for Trumpet and Electronics by Sam Wells, and was actively involved in a private consortium for a new commission by Anthony Plog titled Concerto No. 3 for Trumpet and Brass Band.

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Phillip Chase Hawkins is a Yamaha Performing Artist

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