JMU faculty member Andrew Lankford and pianist Amy Robertson will present an uplifting program of newer works for trombone that evoke jazz, Latin, and commercial styles. The program features Recollections, a brand new composition for trombone and loop station by JMU alumnus John Sipher.

Andrew Lankford is principal trombone with the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra, trombonist with the Madison Brass, and a member of Mr. Jefferson’s Bones. He has performed with numerous ensembles including the North Carolina Symphony, Longview Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra, Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Chamber Orchestra, and the Kansas City Boulevard Big Band. He has also performed with commercial artists including Wayne Newton, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, and Margaret Whiting. From 2001-2015, he was the principal and solo trombonist with the Massanutten Brass Band. Prior to joining JMU as Professor of Trombone in 2001, Lankford held teaching positions at Louisiana Tech University, Armstrong Atlantic State University, and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In addition, he has served on the faculty of the Sulzbach-Rosenberg International Music Festival in Germany and the Taller de Música para Trombonistas in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Amy Robertson has been a featured soloist with the Prince William Symphony Orchestra and a finalist in the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. She has been piano accompanist of the Shenandoah Valley Choral Society since 1996, and served as an accompanist at the North American Brass Band Association annual conference from 2012-2018. In 2000, Robertson auditioned for and attended the American Institute of Music Studies program in Graz, Austria, where she studied German Lied and accompanied vocalists in local concerts. Robertson served as the staff accompanist for the JMU School of Music in 1999. In addition to working with JMU students and faculty, she has worked with guest artists such as Mark Thiele, Sheona White, Steven Mead, Weston Sprott, David Thornton, Brett Baker, Abel Pereira, James Markey, and the Trans-Atlantic Horn Duo. Robertson holds a B.A. in piano accompanying and an M.M. in piano performance from JMU.