Jay Villella, Trumpet

Jay is a full-time professional trumpet player and an adjunct professor of music at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. Jay is a founding member of the Pittsburgh Chamber Brass and (formerly) of the internationally acclaimed Window Trumpet Quartet. Jay has also performed on the baroque trumpet with the early music and historical performance ensemble Chatham Baroque.

He is a performer and board member with the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh. He is a former adjunct professor of music at Mercyhurst University in Erie and is a member of the International Trumpet Guild. Jay is a member of the American Federation of Musicians Locals 86-242 and 24. As a teacher, some of his former college students are currently performing professionally, and his most recent high-school student was the PMEA top ranked trumpet player in Pennsylvania for 2021. He is a volunteer bugler for Bugles Across America, a non-profit organization providing live performances of "Taps" for veteran burial ceremonies.

Jay holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Yale University where he studied with James Thompson and Allan Dean, respectively. He was a recipient of full scholarships to both schools, and was granted the Sidney Mear trumpet award and Performer's Certificate from Eastman.

Jay has studied with trumpet players affiliated with the Cleveland Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Juilliard School and Rice University. He has performed in masterclasses for Clément Saunier, Jeroen Berwaerts, Hiro Noguchi, Thomas Stevens, Gabriele Cassone, Marco Blaauw, Ed Carroll, Stephen Burns, Paul Merkelo, Ray Mase, Jim Ross, and Kevin Cobb. 

Jay was a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado and chamber music festival in Norfolk, CT. He has also performed at the music festival in Chautauqua, NY. He has instructed dozens of students of all levels and coached musical groups and classrooms in several states. He was also a real estate agent for 9 years, serving hundreds of clients and negotiating almost $50 million in sales.

Equipment List:

Yamaha Custom Artist Model YTR-9445NYL-YS III C Trumpet

Yamaha Custom YTR-9636L Eb/D Trumpet

Yamaha Custom YTR-9835L Bb/A Piccolo Trumpet

Yamaha Custom YTR-9910 C Piccolo Trumpet

Yamaha Neo YCR-8335 Bb Cornet

Yamaha Custom YFH-8310Z Bb Flugelhorn

Shires Model AF Bb Trumpet

Weimann Passion Rotary C Trumpet

Scherzer Rotary Piccolo Trumpet

Egger 4-Hole Baroque Trumpet in D/C 415

A variety of Bach, Toshi, Curry, Dennis Wick, and Vennture Custom mouthpieces