Denis Jiron is a native of Los Angeles, California and enjoys a varied career that includes performing with symphony orchestras, pop acts, Afro-Cuban/salsa artists, TV shows, big bands, and education. Denis was appointed acting-2nd trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 2017–2018.
He has also held positions with the Riverside Philharmonic (Principal Trombone) and the Hofer Symfoniker (2nd/1st Trombone) and has been guest trombonist with the LA Opera, Sapporo Symphony, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Pacific Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Toronto Symphony orchestras. Denis is currently principal trombone of the Jackson Symphony and Midland Symphony orchestras.
He has appeared with many artists and shows, including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Queen Latifah, Kanye West, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Gladys Knight, Chris Botti, The Voice, American Idol, The Ellen Show, The Tonight Show, the American Music Awards, Amanda Miguel, Diego Verdaguer, The Midnighters, the Budman/Levy Jazz Orchestra, Al McKay – Earth Wind & Fire Experience, Tito Nieves, Eddie Santiago, Jimmy Bosch, and many others.
In 2004, Denis founded and directed the Afro-Cuban orchestra Rumbankete, which released its first album in 2011. He has held adjunct trombone professor positions at California State University Los Angeles and California State University San Bernardino.
Denis earned his BM degree from California State University Northridge and his MFA degree from the California Institute of the Arts, as well as studying at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen and later the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim. Dr. Jiron earned his DMA degree from Michigan State University as a University Distinguished Fellow.
Currently, Dr. Jiron serves as Assistant Professor of Trombone at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University in London, Canada.
Tiffany Johns is a multi-instrumentalist brass player and keyboardist from Los Angeles, California. Regularly performing and recording across Southern California and beyond, Tiffany maintains a diverse portfolio of musical styles and instruments.
Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Tiffany started on euphonium in the 5th grade. She picked up trombone and bass trombone in high school, and has been hooked on brass doubling ever since. In Southern California, she can be seen most often playing in jazz bands, funk bands, studio sessions, opera orchestras, and the world-famous Disneyland Band.
Tiffany has performed and recorded with a number of world-renowned artists, including Bernard Purdie, Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley, Jacob Collier, Gordon Goodwin, and Jason Derulo. She can be heard on numerous albums on multiple instruments, including two that were Grammy-nominated (Intercambio by the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet and Canto América by La Orquesta Sinfonietta). She was a featured artist at the 2025 International Trombone Festival in London, Ontario.
In addition to performing and recording, Tiffany is an active composer and regional Emmy award-winning arranger. She has had arrangements and compositions performed both in the United States and abroad.
Tickets are now avaialble on the Mt SAC Box Office Website! You can purchase full day, or just the afternoon concerts. Check out the schedule page, for more info!
The ASU (Arizona State University) Trombone Choir was begun under the leadership of Douglas Yeo in 2013. The ensemble began presenting regular performances both at the university and in the local community. The group had recorded two professional CD’s.
Photo credit: Camryn Campbell
Under the leadership of Brad Edwards, the ensemble was invited to perform at the 2017 International Trombone Festival (ITF) in Redlands, California and 2023 ITF in Salt Lake City, Utah. Other performances include appearances at the Musical Instrument Museum, the Tempe Center for the Arts, and a performance of the national anthem for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Photo credit: Camryn Campbell
In recent years, the group has begun to focus more in choosing repertoire that helps to showcase both female and BIPOC composers. Many of our performances feature student conductors and sometimes include student arrangements and compositions. The ensemble is open to all students at the university both graduate and undergraduate and is proud to include non-majors.
Russ Zokaites has had a diverse career as a musician and trombonist. His performance credits include, recording the Fuchs Bass Trombone Concerto with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” performances with the Dayton Philharmonic, Kentucky Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic (Norway), The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, and live on Netherlands Radio 4. He has performed with many great musicians including Joseph Alessi and YouTube Star Christopher Bill. In 2014, Zokaites recorded the #1 pop hit in the Netherlands with the band Sunday Sun. Zokaites has collaborated with over 35 composers including Grammy Award winning Kenneth Fuchs, American Prize winner Martin Hebel, and Inez McComas. Dr. Zokaites keeps an active schedule as a guest performer performing at such schools as, the Manhattan School of Music, New York University, Wright State University and University of California, Davis.
Dr. Zokaites serves as the Lecturer of Trombone and Euphonium at Fresno State University in California. His solo album is published by Centaur Records and is available through Naxos. Russ was a Fellow at the 2013 Alessi Seminar hosted by Joseph Alessi of the New York Philharmonic. He is an artist with endorsements from Lätzsch Custom Brass and Monster Oil.
Zokaites’ work in new music consists of interdisciplinary collaborations and social commentary. Mood Swings (2021, McGillicuddy, Findley) presents music composed during the COVID-19 pandemic. His recent album Bootleg (2021, Fuchs, Edwards, Hebel, Timmons) uses folk tunes and elements of American music to convey aspect of Appalachian Identity. The Wild Called Maxx (2016, Whitney George composer, Sammy Lopez illustrator) combines original and popular music with an illustrated story book about a young millennial searching for a home. The Ghettoblaster Project (2014, the Netherlands) showcased seven compositions recycling noise pollution through a wall of 1980’s boomboxes. Transformative Perspectives (2014, the Netherlands) combined poetry and music in humorous social observation.
Many of these projects have been presented at international conferences. Russ was a featured soloist at the 2021 and 2019 American Trombone Workshops, performing with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” He gave full recitals at the 2022, 2019, and 2018 International Trombone Festival. Further performances took place at the 2023, 2021 ITF, and 2016 International Horn Symposium. As an advocate for his commissioned works, the works composed for him have been performed by the Iceland Symphony, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, several military bands, prominent American trombonists and many professors and students.
As a trombone choir conductor, Zokaites’ choirs performed at the 2023 International Trombone Festival, won an honorable mention in the 2016 International Trombone Association Remington Choir competition, performed at the 2016 American Trombone Workshop, and he prepared the 2018 Latzsch Festival choir for a performance conducted by Christian Lindberg.
Russ has been active as an organizer across the globe. He served as the Festival Coordinator for the 2018 and 2014 Lätzsch Trombone Festivals (NL/Germany) where he worked with some of the worlds leading trombonists included Zoltan Kiss, Carol Jarvis, Randy Hawes, Stefan Schulz, and many others. In 2013, Zokaites organized the ArtSEdeZ festival for new music in Zwolle, Enschede, and Arnhem (NL).
Dr. Russ Zokaites holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of South Carolina, and ArtEZ Hogeschool voor de kunsten (NL). He had further studies at the Aspen Music Festival and School. His main teachers include Brad Edwards, Pete Norton, Peter van Klink, John Rojak and Timothy Anderson. Dr. Zokaites previously served as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Trombone at Morehead State University for four years.
