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Hailed in jazz circles as "a standout soloist with the power, range and flexibility to rival Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw," (DownBeat Magazine, 2014) and in classical as "among the very best trumpet soloists in the world today," (Journal of the International Trumpet Guild, 2011)), Yamaha Performing Artist Rex Richardson was named the 2008 Brass Herald International Personality of the Year.
A veteran of jazz legend Joe Henderson's Quintet and Sextet, William Russo's Chicago Jazz Ensemble, the acclaimed chamber ensemble Rhythm & Brass, and the Brass Band of Battle Creek, known as the world's "Rolls Royce of Brass Bands" (Brass Band World), Richardson stays busy as a headline artist at international jazz and brass festivals. His hundreds of solo engagements in 46 countries.
Richardson has collaborated with countless legendary artists and ensembles, including Wayne Bergeron, Brian Blade, Benny Carter, Boston Brass, Ray Charles, Mike Clarke, Dave Douglas, Kurt Elling, Carl Fontana, Aretha Franklin, Thomas Gansch, Wycliffe Gordon, Stefon Harris, Conrad Herwig, Dave Holland, Sean Jones, Dave Liebman, Eric Miyashiro. James Morrison, Jim Pugh, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Arturo Sandoval, Bobby Shew, Allen Vizzutti, Bill Watrous, and Steve Wilson.
Having developed a reputation unique in the trumpet world for his combination of singular virtuosity, deep lyricism, and an emphasis on improvisation in classical as well as jazz idioms, Richardson is a committed champion of new music.
Richardson has degrees in anthropology and music from Northwestern and Louisiana State Universities and has taught at Virginia Commonwealth University since 2002. He served as International Tutor in Trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, U.K. from 2012-2015. In 2018 he was appointed International Tutor in Trumpet at JAM Music Lab University in Vienna, Austria. He has served as an adjudicator/guest soloist at international jazz, trumpet and brass competitions in Italy, Belgium, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.
In 2009 he was presented with the VCU School of the Arts highest honor, the Award of Excellence, and was awarded the 2011 Theresa Pollack Prize for Excellence in the Arts.
Department of Music
