Trombone | Kai Johnson

An active orchestral musician, Kai can be seen performing with a variety of ensembles in and around Ithaca, NY, including the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes. As a soloist, Kai has a keen interest in the music of the last 50 years, especially where the technique of the instrument is pushed into uncharted territory.

Kai received his Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory where he studied with Norman Bolter and Ron Barron. He recently completed his Master of Music degree at Ithaca College, where he was the trombone graduate assistant during his studies.

While at NEC, Kai was active in new music ensembles and premiered Dramatis Personae, a solo work for trombone, small ensemble, and visual media written for him. In Ithaca, his recitals have consisted of works by Berio, Cage, and Erickson.

Kai has been teaching people of all ages how to play the trombone for over 15 years. Currently, he is the Visiting Lecturer of Low Brass at Cornell University, a position he has held since 2012. Outside of Cornell, Kai maintains a small studio of talented middle-school and high-school aged low brass players.

This past summer, Kai joined the faculty of the Ithaca College Summer Music Academy Intermediate Division, where he led low brass master classes and taught private lessons to aspiring young trombone and tuba players. While at Ithaca College, Kai's graduate responsibilities included teaching Class Trombone, a half-semester course for music education majors to learn to play and teach the trombone.