Augustana Trombone Festival

Established in 2025, the Augustana Trombone Festival is a 2-day event hosted by the School of Music. This celebration of the trombone features masterclasses, rehearsals and performances. The festival allows local and regional high school and college student the opportunity to participate in clinics, ensemble work and coaching with a featured artist. The festival culminates with combined performances of the student choirs under the direction of the guest artist.

The inaugural Augustana Trombone Festival will take place on:

✨ Nov. 19-20, 2025 ✨

Featured Artist Joseph Alessi will present a recital on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 3 p.m. in Hamre Recital Hall — performing works by David, Pryor, Monti, Defaye, Dickson and Sparke. As part of the festivities, Alessi will also perform the Chick Corea Trombone Concerto with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) on Saturday, Nov. 22. This marks a return visit for Alessi, who has previously appeared with both the SDSO and previous trombone festivals at Augustana University.

Joseph Alessi was appointed principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic in 1985. He began musical studies in his native California with his father, Joseph Alessi Sr. As a high school student in San Rafael, California, he was a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony before continuing his musical training at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music. Before joining the philharmonic, Alessi was second trombone of The Philadelphia Orchestra for four seasons and principal trombone of L’Orchestre symphonique de Montreal for one season.

Alessi is on the faculty of The Juilliard School; his students now occupy posts with many major symphony orchestras in the U.S. and internationally. As a clinician for the Eastman-Shires Instrument Co., he has also given master classes worldwide and toured Europe extensively as a master teacher and recitalist. He has performed as soloist with several leading concert bands, including the U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point, U.S. Army Band (Pershing’s Own) and U.S. Marine Band (President’s Own). In addition, he has performed with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Village Vanguard Orchestra and recorded with jazz greats, J.J. Johnson and Steve Turre. Alessi plays exclusively on a Shires-Alessi model trombone.