John Irish

Dr. John Irish is Professor of Music at Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas. Prior to this position, he taught at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.

His career includes performances with the Southwest German Radio Orchestra, the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic, the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, many chamber orchestras, brass quintets, and a wide variety of dance bands and commercial projects. He currently holds the position of principal trumpet of the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, section member of the West Texas Symphony, and is active in the musical life of the area as well as a founder of Jazz Concho, a jazz combo made up of local professionals.

This university position follows a distinguished career in the Air Force Band system. He has recorded often, premiered new works for winds, and soloed with bands and orchestras. Dr. Irish was featured in 2005 as a guest artist in a series of master classes and as a soloist with an orchestra in Chihuahua, Mexico as well as performing a solo recital in Taipei, Taiwan in 2010. In May 2011, he gave the world premiere of a new work for trumpet by Australian composer, Brendan Collins at the 36th Annual Conference of the International Trumpet Guild in Minneapolis. Since the summer of 2012, he performed as Principal Trumpet in the orchestra of Opera Maya, touring with that group throughout the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.

He has contributed a series of articles in the Journal of the International Trumpet Guild (ITG), illuminating many world-renowned trumpet players.

Irish completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music; he earned the MM and BM degrees from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Prominent teachers include Bert Truax, Alan Siebert, John Carroll, Vince DiMartino, and Dale Marrs. Dr. Irish is a clinician/artist for the Conn-Selmer Company.