Jim Johnson & Anthony Kirkland

Dr. Jim Johnson grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned his D.M. in Trumpet Performance from The Florida State University under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Moore, his M.M. in Trumpet Performance from Kansas State University with Dr. Gary Mortenson and his B.S. in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania under Dr. Kevin Eisensmith. Before coming to The University of Akron, Dr. Johnson served as the Principal Trumpet of the Salina Symphony Orchestra in Salina, Kansas and the Kansas State University Faculty Brass Quintet. He performs with Conspiratus Brass duo, of which he is a founding member. He has performed with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (Tallahassee, FL), Albany Symphony Orchestra (Albany, GA), and Sinfonia Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra (Destin, FL). Dr. Johnson is also an accomplished arranger as well, having his music performed at the National Trumpet Competition, the William Adam International Trumpet Festival, the Kansas Music Educators Association All-State Conference, and at the Haus Marteau Brass Chamber Workshop in Lichtenberg, Germany. Dr. Anthony B. Kirkland is Associate Professor of Trumpet as Mississippi State University where he teaches studio trumpet, trumpet consort, and brass ensembles.  He received a Bachelor of Music Education from Troy University, a Master of Music degree from Florida State University, and completed a Doctorate in Trumpet Performance at the University of Maryland. His trumpet teachers include Emerson Head, Brian Goff, Philip Collins, and Chris Gekker, His book, Wind Band Excerpts for Trumpet and Cornet, was published by Balquhidder Music in 2016.