Jon Bohls is a music educator and freelance professional trombonist in the Dallas Metroplex. Jon began his music education career serving as the band director at New Braunfels Middle School in 1969. In 1974, he was a Teaching Assistant in the Music Department at Texas Tech University finishing his Master’s Degree. Next, in 1975 followed with four years at Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas serving as the assistant band director. In 1979, Jon began a nine year period serving as the head band director at Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, Texas. In 1988, Jon began a career as a Private Trombone Instructor teaching in the Irving ISD, Carrollton/Farmers Branch ISD, Lewisville ISD, and Coppell ISD, where he has taught since 1993.

He is the Bass Trombone with the Lewisville Lake Symphony. He has performed with the San Antonio Symphony, Dallas Wind Symphony, Dallas Opera Orchestra, Richardson Symphony, Garland/Los Colinas Symphon, Pete Peterson’s Collection Big Band, Sambuca Big Band, and the Dallas Jazz Orchestra. He directs and performs with the Dallas-area based professional trombone ensemble, SlideShow.

Jon served as part of the organizational team for the International Trombone Festival from 2002 – 2016. He was both the Exhibits Director and the Festival Director during that period.

Jon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Texas Lutheran College and a Master of Music Education Degree from Texas Tech University. His trombone teachers include Bryce Taylor, Cal Schulz, Robert Deahl, Royce Lumpkin, and John Kitzman.

Utility Trombone, Dallas Symphony

Brian Hecht, a native of Dallas, Texas, joined the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as Utility Trombone in September 2021. Prior to joining the Dallas Symphony, Mr. Hecht held the bass trombone position with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (2013-present) and The United States Navy Band in Washington, DC (2009-2013).

He has performed with other major ensembles throughout his career including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra (under the baton of Simon Rattle), San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Baltimore, and the Kennedy Center Ballet.

Brian has been a featured soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, U.S. Navy Band, U.S. "Pershing's Own" Army Band and Orchestra, the Armed Forces Octet at ITF 2018, Kennesaw State University Wind Ensemble, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, STS Professor's Choir, University of Texas Trombone Choir, University of Georgia Trombone Choir, University of Central Arkansas Trombone Choir, Texas State University Trombone Choir, Penn State Trombone Choir, and the Georgia Brass Band. He can be heard on several of the U.S. Navy Band's CD’s and DVD’s as well as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's CD's "Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem" and "Christopher Theofanidis' Creation/Creator".

He has been the recipient of numerous performance awards including first prize at the 2009 Zellmer-Minnesota Orchestra Trombone Competition, 2009 Edwards Big 12 Bass Trombone Solo Competition, and the ETW’s 2009 Trombone Quartet Competition. In addition, he was a finalist in three major international competitions in 2009 including the ITA’s Edward Kleinhammer Competition, the Donald Yaxley Competition, and the International Trombone Quartet Competition.

Brian received his Master of Music degree from Northwestern University, where he studied with Michael Mulcahy, Charles Vernon, and Peter Ellefson. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied with Dr. Nathaniel Brickens. Other influential teachers include Randall Hawes, Jon Bohls, and Charles Villarrubia.

Brian has been a regular Guest Artist/Faculty at the Southeast Trombone Symposium since 2014. Most recently he was a Featured Artist at the 2019 Hungarian Trombone Bootcamp in Budapest, Hungary. In addition, he has been a Featured Artist at the International Trombone Festival, Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival (Jeju, South Korea), Korea Trombone Symposium (Seoul, South Korea), Jinbao International Music Festival (Tianjin, China), Festival of Trombones (Dallas, TX) and the American Trombone Workshop (Washington, D.C.) .

He plays the Thein Brass "Brian Hecht" model and Griego Mouthpieces exclusively.

Lecturer of Brass at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

A native Texan, Zachary Bond was accepted to Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music when he was sixteen years old. Zachary's teachers include Jon Bohls, Keith Meek, Blair Bollinger, Scott Hartman, Mark Lawrence, John Rojak, and Steve Norrell. After receiving his Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute in 2003, Zachary attended Yale University on a full scholarship the following year. Most recently, Zachary received his Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of Sunderland in the UK.

Zachary has performed with some of the world's leading ensembles (The Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Canadian Brass, San Diego Symphony, Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Opera, Philadelphia Ballet, Malaysia Philharmonic, Macau Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony, Qatar Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Singapore Symphony). Zachary has also participated in many summer music festivals such as the National Repertory Orchestra, Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, Verbier Festival, Spoleto USA, and Pierre Boulez's Lucerne Festival.

As a soloist, Zachary was the first prize winner of the 2003 Donald Yaxley Bass Trombone Competition in Helsinki, Finland and the 2006 Edward Kleinhammer Orchestral Bass Trombone Competition in Birmingham England.

Zachary is a regular adjudicator for the International Trombone Association Competitions preliminary and final rounds and has also been on the Jury of the Jeju International Bass Trombone Competition in Jeju, Korea, and numerous other international Concours.

A passionate educator, Zachary has been a regular guest lecturer, conductor, and performer globally. Zachary has been in residence at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and numerous venues in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, England, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Mexico. In addition, Zachary was invited as a guest artist at the 2010 International Trombone Festival in Austin, Texas, to the 2013 International Trombone Festival in Columbus, Georgia. In 2016, Zachary premiered Sheridan Seyfried's Concerto for bass trombone and orchestra with the U.S. Army Orchestra in Washington D.C., conducted by Colonel Timothy Holtan.

Zachary performed on five newly released albums. The Canadian Brass's "Echo, The Glory of Gabrieli", the Houston Symphony's DVD collaboration with NASA celebrating the advent of High Definition Hubble Telescope images set the music of Gustav Holst's "The Planets" suite, culminating in a live performance on tour to New York's Carnegie Hall and Dvorak's 7th and 8th Symphonies with the Malaysian Philharmonic and Claus Peter Flor, and Eruptions Deuce with the Melbourne Symphony Low Brass Section.

Zachary is a former member of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was also on the faculty of the National University of Singapore's Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Hong Kong University, and the brass specialist at the Australian International School in Singapore.

Zachary is currently the Lecturer of Brass and the Concert Band conductor at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He is also the Artistic Director of the Thailand International Trombone Festival, the Singapore Low Brass Academy, and a founding member of the Festival of Trombones (USA)

Principal Trombone, Pittsburgh Opera

Professor of Trombone, Duquesne University

Faculty, Cleveland Institute of Music

John Sebastian Vera, a native of Texas, became the principal trombonist of the Pittsburgh Opera in 2010 and also joined the River City Brass as principal Trombone in 2015. He is a professor of trombone at Duquesne University, Faculty member of the Cleveland Institute of Music and co-creator of the Third Coast Trombone Retreat.

In addition to the Pittsburgh Opera, Mr. Vera has played with the symphonies of Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Buffalo, Kennedy Center Opera House, Malaysian Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Vermont, Charleston, Albany, Akron, Harrisburg, American Ballet Theatre, and Orquesta Sinaloa de las Artes in Mexico amongst others.

He began his studies with Jon Bohls in Texas and continued his education at Southern Methodist University where he studied with John Kitzman of the Dallas Symphony. He then spent a year studying with Ed Zadrozny as a graduate assistant at the University of Akron, and finished his graduate work in New York City at the Mannes College of Music studying with David Finlayson and James Markey of the New York Philharmonic.

In 2009, John was honored to be asked to play on James Markey’s solo release, “On Base” and can also be heard on the HBO documentary The Words that Built America as well as on euphonium in the PBS documentary Abraham and Mary Lincoln, A House Divided as well as many commercial and video game soundtracks.

In 2011, he spent the summer in Haiti volunteer teaching and performing in the Orchestre Philharmonique Sainte Trinite as well as the Ecole de Musique Dessaix Baptiste which became one of the more profound experiences of his life.

A dedicated chamber musician, he also was a founding member of the critically acclaimed Guidonian Hand Trombone Quartet in which he played from 2008-2014. With the quartet, John performed over 100 concerts and gave master classes all over the country. Heralded by the New York Times for their "expertly played performances" they have been recipients of numerous national grants which have enabled them to commission countless composers to create new and innovative works for four trombones. In 2014 was the premiere of River of Fundament, a movie by film artist Matthew Barney, in which John recorded for and acted in along with the quartet.

Mr. Vera is an Artist for Edwards Instruments and resides in Pittsburgh. He is on the faculty at Slippery Rock University and Duquesne University. His favorite musicians include Sigur Ros, Radiohead, the Books, and Efterklang. When he can get away from the trombone he most enjoys basketball, traveling and reading about psychology and social science. Follow him on Instagram @js.vera.

Assistant Professor of Music in Trombone at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Megan Boutin has performed, presented, and adjudicated at conferences and festivals including the International Trombone Festival, American Trombone Workshop, Midwest Clinic, International Women’s Brass Conference, Big 12 Trombone Conference, and the Music by Women Festival.

An active performer and soloist, she is the winner of the 2019 International Women's Brass Conference Tenor Trombone Category II solo division, and has also performed as a guest soloist at the Midwest Clinic. Dr. Boutin has held the position of principal trombone with the Temple Symphony Orchestra, Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Tri-Cities Opera Company Orchestra (Binghamton, NY), and sh has performed with orchestras including the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Winds, Buffalo Philharmonic, the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and Austin Lyric Opera.

As an educator she has been a featured guest artist for conferences as well as presented masterclasses and performed at universities throughout the United States. She served as a coach to the International Trombone Association’s Quartet Competition 2021 winners, and was an assistant conductor for the TAMUK Trombone Choir’s performance at the 2021 Midwest Clinic.

An advocate for diversity and inclusion in music, Dr. Boutin is a member of the International Women’s Brass Conference and serves as a mentor as part of their mentorship program.

Dr. Boutin recorded Golden Trees, by Yukiko Nishimura, for the project Winds of Change: 12 Progressive Solos for Trombone from Diversify the Stand, which was published and released in 2022. Dr. Boutin is a member of consortium projects for new works by composers including John Mackey and James M. David. Additionally, she is the author of “Dr. Nathaniel Brickens: Winner of the 2019 Neill Humfeld Award,” published in the International Trombone Association Quarterly Journal (July 2022).

Dr. Boutin holds degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College (B.M., Music Education), the Eastman School of Music (M.M.) and the University of Texas at Austin (D.M.A.). Principal teachers include Dr. Harold Reynolds, Mark Kellogg, Dr. John Marcellus, and Dr. Nathaniel Brickens. Dr. Boutin has held positions at Murray State University and Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She grew up in Brunswick, Maine, and loves returning to the state to visit beaches, hike, visit Bar Harbor, and carriage drive with her horse. Dr. Boutin is an S.E. Shires Performing Artist, and is an active member of the International Trombone Association and the International Women’s Brass Conference.

James Wallace started teaching privately in 1992 for various high schools and middle schools in the North Texas area. After relocating to Plano in 1995, he began teaching for the Plano Independent School District as a contract music teacher primarily in the Plano East Cluster.

Since moving to the area, many of Mr. Wallace’s students have been tremendously successful at the local, regional, state, national, and international levels. He consistently helps students earn chairs in the All-Region bands, jazz bands, and orchestras. Since 2000, Mr. Wallace has had at least one student each year be selected for the Texas All-State Band, Orchestra, or Jazz Band. A few of his students have participated in national and international solo competitions including the Eastern Trombone Workshop National Solo Competition, the Leonard Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Festival, and the International Trombone Association’s Gilberto Gagliardi and George Roberts solo competitions for students 18 and younger.

Many of Mr. Wallace’s students have continued their musical studies at several colleges and conservatories including Northwestern, Julliard, Eastman, Oberlin, SMU, TCU, UNT, SFA, Baylor, UT in Austin, UT in Arlington, Boston University, and Colburn University. A handful of his former students now hold positions in professional orchestras, military bands, and public schools.

Mr. Wallace’s degrees include a Master’s in Trombone Performance from Texas Christian University and Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of North Texas. His primary teachers were Richard Murrow, Vern Kagarice, Dennis Bubert, and John Kitzman. In addition to teaching students, Mr. Wallace works as a freelance musician in the DFW area.

Mr. Prescott is in his sixth year serving as the Assistant Band Director at Colleyville Middle School. His responsibilities include directing the Symphonic Band, assisting with the Honors Band, and teaching beginner Brass Classes.

Mr. Prescott received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance from The University of Texas at Austin. He also received his Master’s Degree from Texas Christian University where he was the Graduate Assistant for the Trombone Studio.

While at the UT, he performed with many renowned ensembles such as The University of Texas Wind Ensemble and The University of Texas Trombone Choir. During his time in the UT trombone choir, he was blessed to travel and perform in France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, and Spain.

Mr. Prescott has been teaching private lessons, masterclasses, and marching band since 2008 at a number of schools in the San Antonio, Austin, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Mr. Prescott was a finalist for the Temple Symphony Orchestra as well as a finalist for the Round Rock Symphony. He was also recognized as an alternate for the International Trombone Association’s Gagliardi solo competition.

As a freelance trombonist, he has performed with the Vintage 15 Big Band, Vendetta Big Band, Round Rock Symphony, San Antonio Wind Symphony, San Pedro Playhouse Pit Orchestra, Northeast Orchestra-Hurst, Frisco Jazz Band, Slideshow Trombone Choir, and Dallas Millennial Choir Orchestra. Mr. Prescott is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and The International Trombone Association. His teachers include Rod Leonard, Ron Wilkins, Amanda Stewart, Dr. Nathaniel Brickens, and Dr. David Begnoche.