Scott Beckett - trumpet

A native of North Carolina, Professor Scott Beckett holds degrees in trumpet performance/music education and conducting from East Carolina University, matriculated to do his Masters and Doctoral work in trumpet performance at The Florida State University along with a Certificate of Theory Pedagogy, and was awarded two Honorary Doctorates from Williams College and The Florida State University School of Law.  Prof. Beckett studied extensively with Dr. Britton Theurer (East Carolina University) and Bryan Goff (Florida State University), and has also studied with James Thompson (Eastman), Vincent DiMartino (Centre College), Edward Tarr (Germany/Switzerland), Bill Pfund (University of Northern Colorado), Robert Nagel (New York), Crispian Steele-Perkins (England), and Dr. Steven Jones (Western Michigan University).

As an active performer/clinician, Prof. Beckett has performed and lectured at such places as the Juilliard School, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the Eastman School of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory, Carnegie Hall, the Peabody Conservatory, West Texas A and M University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Western Carolina University, Bowling Green State University, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Ithaca College, University of Illinois at Champaigne-Urbana, Temple University, Emory University, The Ohio State University, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, MENC conferences, International Trumpet Guild conferences, Williams College, National Association of College Wind & Percussion Instructors conferences, Florida Music Educators Association conferences, Wyoming Music Educators Conference, Texas Music Educators Conference, and was an Artist in Residence at "Sudler Flag"  Award-winning Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida, and at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts for composer Robert Suderburg.

As a seasoned performer and soloist, Prof. Beckett has performed with the East Carolina Brass, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, Albany Symphony, Cheyenne Symphony, Denver Symphony Orchestra, Carolco Motion Picture and Television studios, The Moody Blues, Three Mo' Tenors, Mulgrew Miller, Grady Tate, Christian McBride, the Canadian Brass, Vennessa Rubins, Bob Mintzer, Maceo Parker, the Yellowjackets, Wynton Marsalis, and Vincent DiMartino.

Awards to his name include the John Thomas Boone Cultural Arts Award, the Marine Corp's Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence, First Prize at the International Trumpet Guild solo competition (1999), co-winner of the Adolf "Bud" Herseth mock orchestra trials, Finalist at the National Trumpet Competition, and two-time winner of the East Carolina Concerto Competition and The Florida State University Graduate Concerto Competition.

His discography includes several recordings as principal trumpet with The Florida State University Wind Orchestra, Jazz Directions II with the East Carolina Jazz Ensemble, and numerous American and German television and film scores.  Recently, Prof. Beckett recorded three Concertos by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Ellen Taffe Zwilich on the Koch label, and recorded for NPR as trumpet soloist for "Story Time" with Angela Landsbury and John Lithgow.

Currently, Prof. Beckett is the Director of Band and Professor of Trumpet at Amarillo College, where he served as President of the Faculty Senate.