“Houston, Texas native James Perez is a versatile musician and teacher whose primary influences are diverse enough to stretch the breadth of the globe. His maturation as a performer has led to a depth of understanding and adaptability in today’s highly competitive musical environment.
Perez has performed and held positions with a wide variety of professional ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and the Brevard Philharmonic. He has also been awarded a position on the substitute list of the Nashville Symphony. In addition, he has been successful in several auditions receiving recognition as a runner-up, finalist, and semi-finalist on numerous occasions. During his time as a professional trombonist, Perez has performed under the batons of such esteemed conductors as Riccardo Muti, Bramwell Tovey, Ken-David Masur, Rafael Payare, Edvard Tchivzhel, and Jay Friedman, and with exquisite artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Lee Greenwood, Common, and The Texas Tenors. Perez also has extensive chamber music experience performing in various ensembles with members who have gone on to jobs with the Kansas City Symphony and the Louisville Orchestra, among others. Perez also doubles on the alto and bass trombones, performing with various ensembles on both instruments.
Perez received his master’s degree at the University of Tennessee, where he was the graduate teaching assistant and graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA, and an undergraduate degree at DePaul University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. His primary teachers and influences include Mark Fisher, Charlie Vernon, Dr. Alex van Duuren, and Joel Brown.