When you meet George, ask him… Where does he get his beans? Does his trumpet have a name? What is his favorite knock knock joke?
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Bio
A native of upstate New York, trumpeter George Chase attended the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA. While in school, he performed with the Philadelphia Opera, the Harrisburg Symphony, the St. Cecilia Chamber Orchestra, and performed with the Berkshire Opera during the summer. For graduate school, he moved from Philadelphia to Houston to attend Rice University. After his graduation from Rice, he joined the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico in Toluca, Mexico, as associate principal trumpet.
Upon his return to the United States, he began performing with ensembles such as the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, Bach Society, and Boomtown Brass Band, as well as teaching at Houston Baptist University and AFA (American Festival for the Arts). For nearly a decade, he taught trumpet and chamber music at the University of Houston Moores School of Music, where he also performed in the faculty brass quintet. He has served on the Board of Directors and as Vice President of the Houston Professional Musicians’ Association, on the Curtis Alumni Council, the Houston Youth Symphony Board of Directors, and the ROCO Board of Directors.
He currently performs with ROCO, the ROCO Brass Quintet, and traditional jazz with Boomtown Brass Band. He teaches trumpet at the University of St. Thomas and at his home studio. When he is not teaching, practicing, rehearsing, or performing, George can be found gardening, drinking coffee, reading, walking his dogs, inhaling multiple bowls of gumbo, and battling fire ants. He lives in the historic Woodland Heights area with his wife Vanessa (a pianist and author) and their two dogs from Houston rescue groups; Trouper (a 110-pound Great Pyrenees) and Chesney (a very scrappy-looking mutt).