Martin McCain

“He commands technical facility as a bass trombonist…executes the material on both discs with conviction…his attack is agile and his sound robust…” Textura Magazine (Canada)

Bass trombonist and Global Music Award Gold Medal Winner Martin McCain’s career as a musician spans an impressive scope of genres. A third-generation musician, he maintains a versatile performance schedule as a soloist, chamber, orchestral and jazz/commercial musician. According to the International Trombone Association Journal, his playing has been described as “solid and masterful”. McCain is in high demand as a performer and clinician throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. His performances and arrangements have been broadcast on Austin, Knoxville, Tucson, Chicago, Toronto and Hong Kong’s radio stations in addition to NPR’s “Performance Today”. Martin has appeared as a guest artist at the International Trombone Festival, Great American Brass Band Festival, Zagreb Brass Festival, Brazilian Trombone Festival and American Trombone Workshop. He is the leader of the award-winning jazz trombone ensemble, JazzBonez and a member of the highly-acclaimed Minor 4th Trombone Quartet. Martin regularly performs in recital programs both as a soloist and as the McCain Duo with his wife, pianist Artina McCain. As an orchestral musician, Martin holds the position of Principal Bass Trombone for the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra and is also a member of the PRIZM Chamber Orchestra. McCain regularly performs with the IRIS Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, Austin Symphony and Memphis Symphony Orchestra in addition to several summer festival orchestras. He has performed with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Amarillo Symphony, Charleston Symphony Orchestra and many regional orchestras. As a jazz musician, he performs with the NOW Jazz Orchestra, Gabriel Santiago Orchestra, Memphis Jazz Orchestra and other commercial touring ensembles.

Martin was a prize – winner twice in both the International Trombone Association’s Donald Yaxley Solo Bass Trombone Competition and Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition and twice in both of the American Trombone Workshop’s National Bass Trombone Solo Competition and Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition. He has been a featured soloist with the Croatian Army Wind Band, United States Army Concert Band “Pershing’s Own” and the United States Army Brass Quintet. In addition to being heard on various recordings on the Summit Records, Naxos and Equilibrium labels, Martin has released three solo CDs Trombone Czar: Russian Treasures Recorded Live! (2012), Shades (2014) and Trombone Czar: The Extended Version(2015). He is a four-time winner of the Global Music Awards, receiving a Bronze Medal for the CD Shades, two Silver Medals for the CD Trombone Czar and as an Emerging Artist and a Gold Medal for Best Instrumentalist. Martin was also featured in an edition of Billboard magazine.

Martin is a Professor of Music and Artist/Teacher of Trombone at Texas State University where he directs the Trombone Choir and Jazz Trombone Ensembles. Under his leadership, the Trombone Choir and Jazz Trombone Ensembles have been invited to perform at the International Trombone Festival, American Trombone Workshop, Big 12 Trombone Conference and Texas Music Educators Association Convention on numerous occasions and have released two commercial recordings. Dr. McCain’s students have also been extremely successful in solo and ensemble competitions including the International Trombone Association competitions, the American Trombone Workshop competitions and the Big 12 Trombone Solo Competitions. In recognition of his teaching, he has received several citations including the 2016 Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2013 Dean Nominee for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching. His students have been accepted into some of the nation’s most prestigious graduate programs such as the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Yale University, Northwestern University, Manhattan School of Music and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He is also the founder/director of the Texas State Trombone Symposium. In addition to his duties at Texas State, Martin spends the summer on the faculty for the Austin Chamber Music Festival, Interharmony International Music Festival (Italy), Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, PRIZM International Chamber Music Festival, SliderAsia Music Festival (Hong Kong) and the English Brass Academy (Croatia).

Martin McCain is a performing artist for Michael Rath Trombones, Reunion Blues Gig Bags and plays on the “McCain” signature mouthpiece series manufactured by Pickett Brass. He is also an affiliate of AirTurn and The GigEasy.

For more information, please visit www.martinmccain.com.

Watch Martin’s performance with Artina McCain during ACMC’s Chamber Connect series, available now on our YouTube channel!

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