Joël Vaïsse

Joël Vaïsse is recognized as one of the leading trombonists of his generation. Since 2017, he has served as Principal Trombone of the Florida Orchestra under the direction of Michael Francis, after holding the same position in several of the most important French orchestras, including the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National de Lyon, and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

As a soloist, he has premiered numerous works, including Siegfried Matthus’s Double Concerto alongside Kurt Masur and Ernst Bloch’s Symphony for Trombone, as well as new concertos by Thierry Caens and Thierry Lancino. He has performed with international ensembles such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, I Solisti Veneti, and the Atlantic Chamber Orchestra, collaborating with world-renowned conductors including Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim, Seiji Ozawa, Charles Dutoit, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Since 2013 he has lived in the United States, where he has performed with major ensembles such as the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, the Mainly Mozart Festival, and the Metropolitan Opera. An active educator, he has taught at the Conservatoire National de Versailles, led masterclasses across Europe, Asia, and the United States, and since 2005 has coached the brass section of the Cherubini Youth Orchestra at the invitation of Riccardo Muti.

A passionate chamber musician, he is a member of the Lincoln Center Trombones and the New York Filmharmonic Brass Septet, with whom he recorded an album dedicated to John Williams. Originally from Marseille, he studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris after a period at Florida State University, winning several prestigious international awards. His debut solo album, Tranquille, features works by Bloch, Crespo, Landgren, and Caens. He is a Buffet Crampon artist and plays an Antoine Courtois trombone.