JAMES JUSTIN KENT (principal trombone) is currently second trombonist with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, Sweden. He can be heard on weekly radio broadcasts on Swedish public radio (Channel P2), or seen on their streaming service “Berwaldhallen Play”. Kent has been on the Eastern Music Festival faculty since 2018, and teaches at the International Trombone Summit along with the world’s finest trombonists from across the world. He has given masterclasses, performed recitals and concerts, and taught aspiring young trombone students all over the world.
At the age of 23, Kent’s first position of note was as principal trombone with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Metha. After completing a one-year position, he then spent a season as principal trombone with the Sarasota Orchestra before winning a position in a newly founded orchestra in Qatar, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. He spent over four years in Qatar playing co- principal trombone where he worked with several renowned conductors including Lorin Maazel, Dmitri Kitajenko, Gerd Albrecht, Marc Minkowski, and James Gaffigan and toured throughout the USA, Europe and Asia. While in Qatar, he held a teaching position at the Qatar Music Academy as their low brass teacher. In 2012, Kent became the second trombonist with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg. The following year, he moved to Austria and became solo-trombonist with the Bruckner Orchester Linz, a position held for over 6 years before winning his current position in the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
As a sought after clinician, he has given masterclasses worldwide at Eastman School of Music, Conservatori de Música de Barcelona, Artave ESCOLA PROFISSIONAL ARTÍSTIC (Porto, Portugal), The Royal College of music (Sweden), Lilla Akademien (High School Music Conservatory, Sweden), Mannes School of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Kärntner Landeskonservatorium (Klagenfurt Austria), along with many others. He has also performed with numerous orchestras across the world spanning 4 continents, including Munich Philharmonic, Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Gürzenich Köln, Boston Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Niederbayerische Philharmonie, Kärntner Sinfonieorchester, and Hong Kong Philharmonic.
In his free time, Kent is an avid swimmer, & homemade pizza maker. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden with his beautiful wife, Andrea, and adores being Papa to their three children Ryder (Ry), Bruckner (Brux), and Anna Louisa (Annie-Lou).