Instrument: Alto and Tenor Trombone
Co-founder of iTromboni, Neal Bennett’s virtuosity comes to life through many trombones and styles of music. Jazz and commercial projects have included playing for the Hard Rubber Orchestra and high-octane power of Jens Lindemann’s BRASSFIRE. Notable new music performances have included Vancouver premieres of Johann DeMeij’s “T-Bone Concerto” with the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Elizabeth Raum’s “Olmutz Concerto” with the West Coast Symphony and projects with the Redshift New Music Society. Neal studied trombone with Alain Trudel at the Montreal Conservatory of Music where he attained a unanimous Premier Prix and followed that with a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of British Columbia. It was during this time that Neal was the recipient of the Canada Council’s “A” Grant to artists which allowed him to travel to the monastic libraries of Europe where he sought and found new works for the alto trombone not performed since the 18th century. Currently living in northern Ontario, Neal has two beautiful children with his wife Peggy and always enjoys gourmet cooking when not otherwise busy with his posts as President of the Beethoven at Home School of Music or Director of the Northern Conservatory of Music.