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 | | | | John Rojak |
| | | John Rojak joined the American Brass Quintet in 1991. He is bass trombonist with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New York Pops, Little Orchestra Society, Stamford Symphony, and Broadway’s Les Misérables. He has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, Orpheus, New York Chamber Symphony, and as solo trombone of Solisti NY. As part of Gunther Schuller’s handpicked orchestra he was involved in the recording of Brahms’ First Symphony and Beethoven’s Fifth for a collaborative CD to Mr. Schuller’s book “The Compleat Conductor.” Mr. Rojak has performed with many ballet companies, including the Bolshoi, Kirov, Royal, Netherlands Dance Theatre, Chinese, and San Francisco. His Broadway shows also include Sugar Babies and Shirley MacLaine on Broadway, he has played with the big bands of Mel Lewis, Jerry Mulligan, and Bob Mintzer, and with Metallica in Madison Square Garden. Besides classical recordings, he can be heard on soundtracks for commercials and film.
Active as a soloist and clinician, Rojak was the first bass trombonist to be artist in residence at Quad City Arts in Illinois/Iowa and has been featured at the International Trombone Federation Workshops in Champaign-Urbana and in Boulder. He has given masterclasses and recitals in the U.S., Japan, and Mexico, been visiting trombone instructor at the North Carolina School of the Arts, and adjudicator for competitions including Concert Artists Guild, Fischoff, and Tilden.
Rojak made his New York concerto debut in March of 2000 performing Walter Ross’ Trombone Concerto No. 2 in Alice Tully Hall with the New York Chamber Symphony, which was then recorded for MMC Records. He was soloist with Vladimir Spivakov and the Moscow Virtuosi in the North American premiere of Schnittke’s Five Fragments Based on Paintings of Hieronymus Bosch for Violin, Trombone, and Tenor in Avery Fischer Hall. Other solo recordings include “Rhapsody for Bass Trombone and Strings” composed by Eric Ewazen with the Czech Radio Philharmonic, and “Double Concerto for Bass Trombone and Horn” by William Thomas McKinley, also on MMC.
Rojak received a B.M. from Juilliard and held fellowships at Tanglewood and the Waterloo Festivals.He is on the faculties of Juilliard, Rutgers, and the Aspen Music Festival. |
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