Appointed Executive Director at Nittany Valley Symphony
Herrera has been appointed the new Executive Director of Nittany Valley Symphony, a Central-PA based orchestra made up of local professionals and community members.
About
Gabriel Herrera is a NYC- and Central PA-based trombonist, composer, and arranger who has performed alongside GRAMMY-winning musicians and showcased his approach to the trombone at acclaimed venues including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Rockwood Music Hall, and Lincoln Center.
Gabriel Herrera stands as a distinguished up-and-coming jazz trombonist in the NYC and Central Pennsylvania regions, proudly representing his hometown of State College, PA. Herrera has performed on world-renowned stages including festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Litchfield Jazz Festival, and Jazz à Vienne in addition to venues like Lincoln Center (Alice Tully Hall), Rockefeller Center (The Rainbow Room), and ShapeShifter Lab.
As a versatile musician, Herrera has performed, recorded, transcribed, arranged, and composed in diverse musical genres such as jazz, classical, fusion, and pop. Previous studio recordings include sessions with pop singer StevenCharles, fusion band Dark Sky Hustlers, and his own jazz quartet. Herrera’s performance experience includes a variety of ensembles such as the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, Nittany Valley Symphony, Centre Brass brass choir, Columbia Jazz Ensemble, Columbia University Orchestra, NYU All-Uni Big Band, Penn State Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Williamsport City Jazz Orchestra, Penn State Trombone Choir, and Zeropoint Big Band. Herrera has also served as musical director/bandleader of a jazz quartet, jazz octet, big band, and classical trombone chamber ensemble.
Herrera has had the privilege of being in dialogue with jazz luminaries, sharing the stage with acclaimed musicians such as Emmet Cohen, John Fedchock, David Gibson, Chris Washburne, Fabian Almazan, Vardan Ovsepian, Terri Lyne Carrington, Caroline Davis, Obed Calvaire, Corey Wallace, and Craig Taborn in addition to performing for or presenting compositions to Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Jihye Lee, Ben Patterson, Sivan Arbel, and Alex Iles in masterclass settings.
Herrera holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Jazz Studies from Columbia University, where he studied with David Gibson and was the first jazz concentrator to win honors in the music department. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Trombone Performance at Penn State University with primary teacher Mark Lusk and is a teaching assistant in the jazz department.
Upcoming Performances
Teaching
Herrera is an active educator in the trombone, jazz studies, and music theory spaces, having experience in various teaching formats such as one-on-one studio lessons (including virtual), group lessons, ensemble coachings, lecture presentations, and masterclasses. Herrera graduated with honors in music from Columbia University and is currently pursuing a master's of music degree from Penn State, where he is a graduate teaching assistant for the trombone and jazz departments. Other experiences in educational settings include being a volunteer teacher with the Musical Mentors Collaborative in New York City, touring Europe with the State College Area High School Jazz Band as a chaperone and guest performer, demonstrating jazz and music theory concepts to music appreciation classes at Columbia University, and maintaining a private lesson studio of trombonists (and a couple of jazz pianists) spanning the age range of high school to adult. For all teaching inquiries, please reach out to Herrera directly at gch2121@columbia.edu.
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Short bio (64 words)
Gabriel Herrera is an NYC- and Central PA-based jazz trombonist and composer who has cemented himself as a rising star in the jazz world. Having performed at internationally acclaimed venues such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center, and Jazz à Vienne, Herrera has also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with notable musicians including Emmet Cohen, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Craig Taborn.
Medium bio (200 words)
Gabriel Herrera is a trombonist and composer who has performed at internationally-acclaimed venues including the Montreux Jazz Festival and Lincoln Center and shared the stage with jazz icons such as Emmet Cohen, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Craig Taborn.
Inspired by the great Carl Fontana, Herrera has been on the international stage since high school - having toured Europe twice, he has also earned national and international accolades from competitions such as Essentially Ellington and WorldStrides. Since moving to New York City to study at Columbia in 2019, Herrera has continued to build his career as an in-demand and versatile musician, recording or performing at venues such as Lincoln Center, Jazz à Vienne, ShapeShifter Lab, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, and Rockefeller Center in genres including jazz, classical, fusion, and pop.
Currently, Herrera is the bandleader for his own jazz quartet and jazz octet in addition to having recent performances as the principal trombonist of the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra and Nittany Valley Symphony. After earning his BA in Philosophy and Jazz Studies with departmental honors in music from Columbia University in 2023, Herrera has started his MM in Trombone Performance at Penn State, where he serves as the jazz department’s teaching assistant.
Long bio (402 words)
Gabriel Herrera is an up-and-coming jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger from State College, Pennsylvania who has performed alongside some of today’s foremost jazz luminaries on some of the world’s most acclaimed stages.
Born into a musical family, Herrera discovered his passion for the trombone early in life after stumbling upon a YouTube video of Carl Fontana playing “Emily.” While in high school, Herrera performed as a soloist internationally at venues such as the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) and the Litchfield Jazz Festival (Connecticut) in addition to garnering accolades including recognition from national and international competitions including Essentially Ellington and Worldstrides. Having been named to the Pennsylvania All-State Jazz band twice consecutively, he worked with renowned jazz masters like Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Alex Iles, and Mike Kamuf while still in high school.
In 2019, Herrera moved to New York City to study at Columbia University under notable faculty such as David Gibson, Ole Mathisen, Don Sickler, Chris Washburne, and Bruce Barth. An active member of the music community both on and off campus, Herrera performed at venues such as Lincoln Center and ShapeShifter Lab and in genres such as jazz, fusion, rock, bossa nova, pop, and classical. Having had the pleasure of sharing the stage with musicians such as Craig Taborn, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Chris Washburne, Herrera then launched his career as a bandleader his senior year, forming his own jazz quartet and big band to play his original compositions and arrangements.
After earning his BA in Philosophy and Jazz Studies with departmental honors in music from Columbia, Herrera toured France and performed as a soloist at festivals including Jazz à Vienne and Jazz a Juan. Since returning to the United States, he has continued his career as a bandleader in NYC in addition to performing as the principal trombonist with the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra and principal trombonist with the Nittany Valley Symphony. He has furthered his career as a musical director in Pennsylvania, founding the Happy Valley Jazz Octet and Happy Valley Trombone Quartet in addition to directing ensembles at Penn State including Inner Dimensions Big Band, Slide Dimensions Jazz Trombone Ensemble, and several jazz combos.
Currently, Herrera is pursuing his MM in Trombone Performance at Penn State. At Penn State, he has studied under Mark Lusk, Daniel Twentey, and Joshua Davis and performed alongside notable musicians including Emmet Cohen, John Fedchock, Corey Wallace, Vardan Ovsepian, Obed Calvaire, Fabian Almazan, Caroline Davis, and Ronen Itzik.
Gabriel Herrera Quartet
Gabriel Herrera Big Band
The Gabriel Herrera Quartet is a Manhattan-based jazz quartet with a diverse repertoire of standards and original compositions, though the hard bop subgenre most influences the quartet. Instrumentation is trombone, guitar, bass, and drums, and an ideal backline would include a talking mic, trombone mic, guitar amp, drum set, and four music stands, though the quartet can supply their own backline as needed.
The Gabriel Herrera Big Band is a Manhattan-based 17-piece big band that performs Herrera's original compositions and arrangements in the straight-ahead swing style with five saxes, four trombones, four trumpets, piano, guitar, bass, and drums. An ideal backline would include a talking mic, solo mic, piano or electric keyboard and amp, drum set, 14 chairs, and 17 music stands, though the big band can supply their own backline as needed.
Happy Valley Jazz Octet
Happy Valley Trombone Quartet
The Happy Valley Jazz Octet is central Pennsylvania's premier jazz octet, performing transcriptions and original arrangements of jazz classics from the hard bop, swing, post-bop, and cool jazz eras. Instrumentation includes one trumpet, one trombone, three saxes, piano, bass, and drums. An ideal backline would include a talking microphone, guitar amp, bass amp, piano or electric keyboard with amp, drum set, and eight music stands, though the octet can supply their own backline as needed.
The Happy Valley Trombone Quartet is a central Pennsylvania-based chamber ensemble featuring four of the area's premier trombonists. Repertoire includes original arrangements and transcriptions of religious chorales and classical music, with typical performances being at local churches. An ideal backline would include four music stands, though the quartet can supply their own as needed.
Contact
For all bookings, please contact Herrera directly at gch2121@columbia.edu.