Wind bands, orchestras, broadway shows, the opera, recording studios, chamber music, classrooms, theme parks, music festivals, big bands, drum corps, special events, and more are all places that Ben Gunnarson calls home. Ben specializes in being a multi-genre instrumentalist around the globe, spanning venues from Disneyland to the White House.
Ben enjoys regularly performing with the Bay Philharmonic and Disneyland band, and recently became a full-time trumpet and cornet member of The “President’s Own” United States Marine Band. Other new engagements include performances with Seth MacFarlane, LA Opera, the Disneyland Candlelight Herald Trumpets, and the Los Angeles Game Music Ensemble. Recent achievements include being named the ensemble winner of the 2023 National Trumpet Competition and being a finalist in the Brevard Music Center concerto competition.
Ben has extensive orchestral experience performing with the Modesto Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, Downey Symphony, California Young Artists Symphony, Livermore-Amador Symphony, Hollywood Studio Symphony, and the LA Film Conducting Institute Studio Orchestra. Additional performing credits include the Disneyland All-American College Band, San Francisco Wind Ensemble, BLOW Brass, Cali Brass, Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, productions of West Side Story, Dreamgirls, South Pacific, Mack and Mabel, the Drowsy Chaperone, Cabaret, and the Japan touring cast of the Tony® and Emmy® winning broadway show, “BLAST! The Music of Disney”.
Studio recordings include music for Star Trek: Below Decks, Cinematic Brass, the Chandra X-ray Space Observatory 25th Anniversary album, various recording projects for the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Film Scoring departments, and a new trumpet course for the music education platform Tonebase.
Ben holds degrees in music education and trumpet performance from Indiana University studying with Joey Tartell and Pat Harbison, and a Master’s degree in trumpet performance from the University of Southern California, studying with Tom Hooten and Jennifer Marotta. He was a fellow of the National Brass Ensemble Academy, American Youth Symphony, Brevard Summer Music Festival, and Music in the Mountains Summer Festival. He has also studied abroad in Vienna, Austria with members of the Vienna State Opera and Philharmonic.
Ben maintains a private teaching studio and is an active freelancer, and currently serves as co-founder and vice president of the Los Angeles Brass Alliance. The group has world-premiered over 40 new works for large brass ensemble, and provides inclusive educational and fellowship opportunities for emerging professional musicians across the L.A. region. Other notable teaching experiences include Disney Performing Arts and the Disney Youth Education Series, Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, The Company Performance Ensemble, Santa Clara Vanguard Drama and Bugle Corps, USC Trojan Marching Band, various high school programs, the LA Youth Philharmonic, and Disney’s Imagination Campus. Ben lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Elizabeth, who is an exquisite tuba player, and their cat, Avery.