About Aaron

Originally from Salt Lake City, Aaron Zalkind has served as Principal Trombone of the New Mexico Philharmonic since 2021, where he was awarded tenure in 2022.

Aaron has appeared as guest principal with the San Diego Symphony and the Colorado Music Festival, and has also performed with the New World Symphony, the Phoenix Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, and numerous other orchestras across the United States. He is also an active chamber musician, performing and traveling with the Cantare Brass, a quintet of university professors and professional musicians from across the country that presents recitals, masterclasses, and educational outreach programs nationwide.

In 2019, Aaron was awarded second prize at the Zellmer Trombone Competition and two first prizes at the International Women’s Brass Conference competitions. He also won the University of Colorado Honors Competition in 2018. Earlier in his career, Aaron was a member of the Juilliard Trombone Quartet, winners of the 2016 American Trombone Workshop Quartet Competition in Washington, D.C.

Committed to pedagogy, Aaron is the author of Fundies, a method book exploring brass fundamentals through progressive exercises, and has presented guest performances and masterclasses at institutions such as the University of Georgia, the University of Utah, and the University of Colorado Boulder, among others. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, a Master of Music from the Juilliard School, and a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University. His primary mentors include William Stanley, Joseph Alessi, Peter Ellefson, and his father, Larry Zalkind.

Aaron lives in Corrales, New Mexico, with his wife, Sarah, and their dog, Kiva.