![ALTIN SENCALAR headshot](/sites/default/files/styles/original_mobile/public/2024-08/altin-sencalar-headshot.jpg.webp?itok=IRT9_pxY)
Departments
Courses Taught
Applied Lessons
Combos/ Ensembles
Education
Bachelors of Music, University of Texas at Austin
Masters of Music, Michigan State University Jazz Performance
Ensembles
Dizzy Gillespie All Star Alumni Big Band
Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band
David Sanborn Quintet (2023)
Michael Bublé
Awards
2024 All About Jazz Top 100 Jazz Trombonist Poll 2023 Diversity Fellowship Winner
United States Airforce Band Recipient 2021 Texas Artist of The Year Semi-Finalist
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Temple, TX
What is your favorite recording? Why?
Nat Adderly on JJ Johnson's Trombone Master recording, his solo on Misterioso!
What are you passionate about outside of music?
My family, my dogs, and I'm a huge Costco fan!
Who were your major teachers?
Freddie Mendoza, Andre Hayward, and Michael Dease
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
Critique is a chance for refinement- John Wittmann, Vice President of Artist Relations, Yamaha Music USA
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
What is the best way to start working consistently in bands?
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
I was at Essentially Ellington with my high school in 2011 and knew from the moment we played at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center that I wanted to be a musician for the rest of my life. I had the best time being from a small town in Texas and needed to be in a energy that was as ferocious as NYC.
What was a turning point in your career?
The day I moved to NYC was the day I felt I was making an impact in my career. The day I signed my lease, maybe 2 hours later I received a call to go tour with Michael Bublé. After that many of my current projects and current performances came shortly thereafter.
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
I would be an engineer of some kind. I love the process of building things. Maybe not an architect but somewhere between the two careers!
What is your daily practice routine?
I have 32-44oz of water every morning before eating anything and once I have my water I start with my long tones, flexibilities, scale patterns, and multiple tonguing! After all of that, I'm then ready to play or practice.
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Eddie Palmeri, Henry Mancini, Cedar Walton
What is your unrealized project?
A latin jazz big band of mine! It's coming.... soon!!
What do you think makes a concert experience unique?
The acoustic sounds of wind instruments and percussive instruments in real time is something that is only felt. Recordings are great but they're not as absorbing of the nuance and energy as a live performance is.
Please list your most important collaborations
David Sanborn, Dafnis Prieto, John Lee
Media
Biography
Hailed by Stereophile Magazine for “sound[ing] like 21st-century grandchildren of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding” (with his co-bandleader Chris Glassman) and praised by the International Trombone Associations Journal for his “virtuosity [and] melodic and harmonic mastery,” Altin Sencalar is in high demand across the country as a performer, educator, and composer.
As an active performer, Altin has shared the stage, toured, and/or recorded with DeeDee Bridgewater, Rodney Whitaker, Christian McBride, Michael Bublé, John Lee, The Dizzy All Stars Alumni Big Band, David Sanborn, Dafnis Prieto, Ulysses Owens Jr., The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, The Velvalletes, Ne-Yo, Big Sean, and many others. He has also recorded for several motion pictures including Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, My Little Pony: The Movie (2017 release), and others independent films.
Altin has held teaching positions at Michigan State University, Brevard Jazz Institute, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Summer Jazz Intensive, Jazz & Creative Institute, Central Texas College, and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Altin exclusively performs on Yamaha Trombones and Euphoniums and is a Yamaha Performing Artist. He is also a Posi-Tone Recording Artist, Picket Blackburn Trumpets & Brass Trombone Brand Ambassador, and is a performing artist for Earasers Earplugs & InEarz Audio, Robinson’s Remedies, and AEA Ribbons Microphones & Pre-Amps. Altin is currently based in New York City where he is currently on the music faculty at Iona University in New Rochelle, NY and is the Visiting Professor of Jazz Trombone at San Francsico Conservatory of Music RJAM program.