JEFF PURTLE

Contact Information

(864) 354-3223

Artist Statement

Jeff Purtle is the author of Hit it Hard & Wish it Well (http://www.hitithardwishitwell.,com) and is best known for being a protégé of and authority on master teacher Claude Gordon. Jeff has done masterclasses at the International Trumpet Guild’s annual conference, and toured England, Scotland, Wales and the USA doing recitals and masterclasses.

He has written for The Brass Herald magazine and the ITG, and has been cited in various doctoral thesis. Jeff has been teaching since 1984 and in 2004 Jeff became a pioneer teaching online. Each week Jeff sees students from all parts of the world, with some flying to the Upstate to study in person. For five years Jeff was adjunct professor at Clemson University and for thirteen years trumpet professor at South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University. His students play in all branches of the United States military, the Greenville Symphony, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Augusta Symphony, Aiken Symphony, Jacksonville FL Symphony, and UK and Chinese orchestras. Some are touring in the UK and Europe.

Jeff has personally funded and brought many world class musicians to the Upstate of South Carolina such as Arturo Sandoval (famous trumpet player), Harry Kim (leader of Vine Street Horns for Phil Collins’ many multiplatinum albums), Susan Slaughter (Principal trumpet of Saint-Louis Symphony for 40 years) and the Monarch Brass, Philippe Schartz (Principal Trumpet of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales), Stacy Simpson (Trumpet – Louisville Orchestra), Laurel Ohlson (Associate Principal French Horn – National Symphony), Jeannie Little (Trombone Soloist), Velvet Brown (Tuba Soloist and Recording Artist), Carl Lenthe (trombone soloist), Bob O’Donnell (Los Angeles Studio Trumpet Player), and Steve Patrick (Nashville Studio Trumpet Player).