Position:
Adjunct Assistant Professor, TromboneEmail: andrew.skaggs@zhenrenqi.com
Employed Since:
Fall 2024Conservatory Professional Highlights:
Andy Skaggs was born in 1972, and grew up in Ashland, Kentucky. Always fascinated by music, Andy spent his early years devouring his parents’ collection of records, mostly Broadway and classical. By the time he was a teenager, he was excelling as a singer and trombonist, and had gained some notice for his compositions. His choral setting of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” was performed at his own graduation from Paul G. Blazer High School in 1990. At DePauw University, Skaggs studied composition with David Ott, as well as piano, voice, and trombone, the latter with James Beckel.
After a chance opportunity to perform with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at the age of 18, Andy became intently focused on a career as a trombonist.
Over the past three decades, he has performed with every type of ensemble imaginable, from symphony orchestras and show bands to funk and salsa groups. He has held positions with the Charlotte Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra, and the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C.
His works have been performed around the world, and he is in increasingly high demand as a composer. His “Varietals,” for trombone and piano was chosen as the test piece for the National Solo Competition held at the American Trombone Workshop, where Mr. Skaggs served on the judging panel.
Andy lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, Megan, and their two boys.
Educational History:
B.A., Excelsior College