Brass Faculty
Brass Faculty
Brass Faculty
Dr. Gilles Bernard, Coordinator of Brass Studies,Trombone, chamber music
Gilles Bernard is Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of Brass Studies at New Jersey City University. He holds the positions of principal trombone with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra (PA) and was second trombone with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra (OH) for nineteen seasons.
An active freelance artist, he performs regularly with regional orchestras in the NY/NJ/CT area. Current and past performing organizations include the Metropolitan Opera; the Hartford Symphony; the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Albany Symphony; the Harrisburg Symphony and the Reading Symphony, Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the Broadway revival of The King and I. Before moving to the United-States, he performed on several occasions as an substitute/extra with the Orchestre National de France under Lorin Maazel, Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Vaclav Neumann, and George Prêtre.
As a clinician, he works regularly with high-school level students throughout New Jersey and New York.
He holds the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music.
Jerry Bryant, Trumpet, chamber music
New York City based trumpeter Jerry Bryant is a member of the New York City Opera Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Principal Trumpet of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra and Principal Trumpet/Orchestra Manager of the Glimmerglass Opera Festival in Cooperstown, NY.
A regular on Broadway, Jerry has performed with Wicked, The Kind and I, Beauty and the Beast and is currently a member of the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra. He has also performed with the Metropolitan Opera, National Symphony (Washington D.C.), New Jersey, Jacksonville, McLean, Tallahassee, Fairfax, Annapolis, Long Island, Brooklyn, Bronx Arts Ensemble, Washington Ballet and Westfield Symphony Orchestras.
Before moving to New York City in 2005 Jerry was a member of the United States Navy Band, Washington DC for seven years. During that time, he was tasked to perform ‘taps' for hundreds of simple and full honor ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and throughout the country. Additionally, he was a featured soloist with the band and performed for presidents, dignitaries and audiences throughout the world.
Jerry has been Adjunct Professor of Trumpet at New Jersey City University since 2007. He holds a Master of Music degree from The Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Music from Florida State University.
Javier Gandara. French horn, chamber music
Javier Gandara has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 1999. He is also
on the Horn Faculty at New Jersey City University, Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard Pre-College Division.
Javier began his professional career at the age of 16 when he won a position in the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra while still attending High School at La Escuela Libre de Música in San Juan. He later studied at Indiana University and obtained a BM from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Mr. Ranier DeIntinis. He has held positions with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias (principal), Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi (principal), and the Oregon Symphony (assistant principal) and has performed as a guest with the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony. He has also been on the faculty of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas (YOA) since 2003.
He is a regular guest faculty at the Puerto Rico Conservatory in San Juan and has been a coach for the National Youth Orchestra System in Colombia (Batuta) and the Swedish National Youth Orchestra. He has also performed regularly in countless commercial recordings, including over 20 major motion picture soundtracks.
Ben Stapp
Music innovator, Ben Stapp has established himself as a singular voice both as a tubist and composer. His distinct voice caught the attention of bassist William Parker, describing him as “a low-brass hero who creates beautiful full-range tuba sounds that make you love the instrument and the musician…reinventing many aspects of tuba playing regarding the sounds, colors and textures– a great musician.” In the same NYJCR artist feature, Joe Morris adds, he is “one of the most profound improvisers at work in the U.S.”
As a composer, Cisco Bradely describes him as having “a daring that few artists possess.” Bruce Gallanter recalls that his two hour opera, Myrrha’s Red Book, which received the Jerome Artist Award, was “unlike anything he reviewed in recent times.” The opera, now a cult classic, has since been written about in college papers; and Mike Borella, from Avant Music News, writes it “should have garnered much greater attention.” His label, Uqbar Music, features Eight albums as leader.
Besides improvising and composing, Stapp has cultivated his sound from extensive experience as a performer in many styles including engagements with Ray Anderson’s Pocket Brass Band, Steven Bernstein’s Universal Melody Brass Band, Frank London, the International Contemporary Ensemble, Red Barrat, ECCE Ensemble, TILT, OK Orchestra, and as principal tubist for Chelsea Symphony.
His foundational playing comes from a Bachelor of Music from UCLA, studying with Tommy Johnson and a Masters in Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music, studying with Roger Bobo.
With an MAT from Lehman College, his dedication to education extends to his role as a public-school band director and adjunct professor, where he proudly shares his passion for music and seeks to help the next generation of aspiring musicians find their own unique sound.