I believe great musicians are built through consistent craft, honest curiosity, and meaningful mentorship. My work as a performer and teacher has taken me from orchestral stages to university studios, and every role has reinforced the same truth: students thrive when technique, artistry, and humanity grow together.

Professional Snapshot

  • Associate Professor of Trombone – University of Alabama

  • Principal Trombonist – Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra

  • Second Trombonist – Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

  • Former faculty appointments at Arkansas State University & Southeastern Oklahoma State University

  • Active clinician, adjudicator, and chamber musician

Philosophy

My studio is grounded in three pillars:

  1. Sound First – tone quality drives everything: intonation, flexibility, articulation, and musical expression.

  2. Problem Solving – students learn how to diagnose their own playing, not just follow instructions.

  3. Whole-Musician Thinking – careers now include teaching, arranging, recording, entrepreneurship, and collaboration.

Whether you are preparing for auditions, recitals, or simply trying to fall in love with the instrument again, my goal is to help you leave every lesson clearer and more confident than when you arrived.

Biography

An active performer and educator, Bruce Faske is currently Associate Professor of Trombone at the University of Alabama, Principal Trombone of the Tuscaloosa Symphony, and Second Trombone of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. At Alabama, he teaches all trombone music majors and conducts the Alabama Trombone Choir. Prior to his appointment at UA, he was Associate Professor of Trombone at Arkansas State University and Adjunct Instructor of Trombone and Euphonium at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Equally comfortable on stage as a soloist, chamber musician, or large ensemble member, his professional experience includes performances with numerous orchestras in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, and New Mexico, as well as world premiere performances of solo and chamber works at the International Trombone Festival, the Music By Women Festival, and soloist on Philip Sparke’s “Year of the Dragon” with the Diamond Brass Band at the 2023 North American Brass Band Championships. A frequent recitalist, he strives for a balance of traditional and contemporary repertoire, often curated within a recital theme.

A Texas native, Bruce Faske earned degrees from East Texas A&M University (Bachelor of Science) and held assistantships at Baylor University (MM) and the University of Alabama (DMA). His primary teachers include Jimmy Clark, Brent Phillips, and Jonathan Whitaker. He was a member of the Participant Class at the 2011 and 2013 Alessi Seminar, and participated in summer music festivals at the International Festival Institute at Round Top and the National Music Festival.

Bruce Faske is a Trombone Artist for the S.E. Shires Company, performing on the Colin Williams model trombone.