Anthony Stanco

Anthony Stanco is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, and educator from Southeast Michigan.

A product of Detroit's rich musical heritage, Stanco spent his early years studying under local heroes such as Marcus Belgrave and Rodney Whitaker. He enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music to continue his education with world-famous brass pedagogue Laurie Frink and transferred to Michigan State University to finish his undergraduate and master's degree. While completing his education, he won the International Trumpet Guild's 2013 Jazz Improvisation Competition.

Stanco leads The Crucial Elements, a nationally-recognized 5-piece ensemble who have served multiple tours with the US State Department's “American Music Abroad” program. This is made possible through a partnership between American Voices and the US government’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. They've represented the United States in more than a dozen different countries around the world (including South Africa, Namibia, Indonesia, Jordan) and have performed at leading international venues including the Java Jazz Festival, Cairo Jazz Club, and the Windhoek Jazz Festival. Stanco’s band consistently receive rave reviews about their engaging live performances and equally captivating record titled “The Crucial Elements.” He continues to have an active recording career and has released his second record titled “You Know The Feeling” on the Detroit Music Factory label.

As someone who benefited early on from passionate mentors, it’s only natural that Stanco would be drawn to become an educator himself. He has been a guest artist at the collegiate and high school level, and has adjudicated multiple jazz festivals in the midwest. Stanco joined The Ohio State University faculty in 2015 and became the Director of Jazz Studies at Broward College in 2019. He also serves as trumpet faculty at Brevard Jazz Institute.

Stanco joined the MSU College of Music Faculty in 2021. For more, visit www.anthonystanco.com