Player Bios


Ken Wolff * Chris Dudley * Matt Guilford

Ken Wolff

Ken Wolff began studying the trombone at age 12. Within 3 years, he was playing professionally throughout the San Francisco, CA area with Classical, Jazz, Dixie and Rock and Roll such as the Rich Martini Big Band, San Francisco Dixie Company, Choral Brass Quintet and others. After additional studies as a scholarship student at Interlochen and Tanglewood, Ken attended the University of Massachusetts on full scholarship to prepare for a career playing the trombone. Ken has freelanced throughout the country, played with Orchestras throughout North America, and toured major parts of the world with various groups. Ken has also performed with such jazz greats as Urbie Green, Michael Breicker and Slide Hampton as well as recording for commercial production, radio broadcast and CD. An active solo artist, clinician and teacher, Ken enjoys playing with his brass quintet, freelancing with area ensembles including the Baltimore and Maryland Symphonies most of all, chamber ensemble playing with his long time friends Chris Dudley and Matt Guilford in Tres Bone. Ken has performed and conducted master classes at the New York Brass conference and the Eastern Trombone Workshop. An active arranger, Ken seeks to expand literature available to the trombone trio and publishes his arrangements through Tres Bone Publishing. Ken is an active advisor and clinician for the SE Shires Company and plays a Shires trombone. Ken’s teachers have included: Ed Neumeister, Ned Meredith, Mitchell Ross, Mark Lawrence, John Marcellus, Ralph Sauer and David Sporny. Ken shares the principal player role in Tres Bone with Chris Dudley

 

Christopher Dudley

Christopher Dudley is Principal Trombone of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy with the school’s highest artistic honors and received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. He has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras, and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, as well as with his smooth jazz ensemble Mythology, the Rittenhouse Jazz Quartet, and the Constellation Brass. He is currently recording transcriptions of the Shostakovich string quartets with the Mir Brass Quintet. As a teacher Mr. Dudley carries on the traditions of his mentors: Joseph Alessi, principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic; Glenn Dodson, principal trombone emeritus of the Philadelphia Orchestra; and Steve Norrell, bass trombone of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Mr. Dudley teaches privately and is on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School. He has been on the faculty of the Tidewater Music Festival, the Empire Brass Quintet Symposium at Tanglewood as well as being a soloist and clinician at the Eastern Trombone Workshop. Beyond his orchestral and chamber music engagements, Mr. Dudley is an active studio musician on trombone and the Wind Synthesizer. He has composed and produced jingles for radio and television and has released a recording of original jazz/fusion compositions entitled Lovely Daze. Chris Dudley shares the principal player role in Tres Bone with Ken Wolff.

 

 

Matthew Guilford

Matthew Guilford has served as bass trombonist with the National Symphony Orchestra since his appointment in 1991. Previously he was a member of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and has also performed with the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony. Matt has also played with Music of the Baroque in Chicago, The Chicago Chamber Musicians, and the Grand Teton Music Festival. As a soloist Matt has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, The United States Army Band & Orchestra and the Harvard University Band. Matthew has studied with Jerry Shaw, Norman Bolter, Douglas Yeo and John Swallow, and is a graduate of the New England Conservatory where he received both bachelor and master of music degrees. He was the 1988 winner of the Donald Yaxley Scholarship, a bass trombone concerto competition sponsored by the International Trombone Association. His career has included such varied engagements as the national tour of the Broadway musical Les Miserables; the Boston Symphony recording of the Richard Strauss opera Elektra; the motion picture soundtrack for the film Predator II and fellowships to Tanglewood and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute. Matthew is a faculty member at the University of Maryland in College Park and Catholic University in Washington, D.C. An active educator and clinician, Matthew has given master classes at most of the top conservatories and universities in the United States. Visit his website at www.matthewguilford.com for additional information. Matthew plays bass trombone with Tres Bone.