FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music is pleased to announce the appointment of Brittany Lasch as assistant professor of music in trombone, effective Aug. 1, 2023.
Lasch is currently assistant professor of trombone at Bowling Green State University, on faculty at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and principal trombone of the Detroit Opera Orchestra.
An S&R Foundation Washington Award winner, Lasch has appeared as a soloist with ensembles including the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass and symphonies around the country. With playing described as “masterful” (Syracuse Post-Standard), American Record Guide recently hailed her as an “excellent soloist.”
“Brittany Lasch is held in the utmost regard industry wide as a performer, educator and colleague,” said Abra Bush, David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean. “The continued success of her students at the highest level is a testament to her outstanding skills and passion as a pedagogue and will help attract the most gifted students to our program. We enthusiastically welcome Brittany to the Jacobs School of Music.”
Lasch has been a featured guest artist at numerous events, including the International Trombone Festival, International Women’s Brass Conference and American Trombone Workshop. She was a winner of Astral Artists National Auditions, the recipient of the Zulalian Foundation Award and a prizewinner in numerous national and international competitions. She won second place in the 2018 American Prize Solo Instrumentalist Competition.
She has performed with orchestras nationwide, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Toledo Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed at multiple festivals, including the Verbier Festival and Spoleto USA.
As an advocate for new music, Lasch has commissioned and premiered several new pieces for the trombone by composers such as Reena Esmail, Adam Har-zvi, Inez McComas and Thomas Weaver. She recorded the orchestrated version of Martin Kennedy’s “Theme and Variations for Trombone and Orchestra,” which was recently released on the Albany Records label. Upcoming commission premieres include the works of Trey Anthony Flores, Brittany J. Green and John H. Wallace.
Lasch earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University, Master of Music from Yale School of Music and Bachelor of Music from Manhattan School of Music.
“Dr. Lasch brings a unique depth of experience to the Brass Department and the trombone area, specifically,” said Demondrae Thurman, chair of the department. “Having won positions with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and New World Symphony as a student and with her current position as principal trombone of the Detroit Opera and recent performances with national orchestras, she brings a comprehensive understanding of what our students need to be successful performers.
“Dr. Lasch is a dedicated teacher and has the kind of individualized approach to the discipline that resonates with our students. Her dedication to commissioning new music for trombone, including works by underrepresented composers, is exemplary. She is a rising star in the trombone world, and I am thrilled to welcome her to the Jacobs School.”