Jacksonville Symphony Blog

Ben Shaposhnikov joined the Jacksonville Symphony in 2023 as Third/Utility Trumpet. A native of Long Island, NY, Ben earned his Bachelor of Music degree at Lynn Conservatory of Music as a student of Marc Reese. He has performed with the Palm Beach Symphony, the Florida Grand Opera, and was a fellowship recipient at the Aspen Summer Music Festival in both … Read More

Kevin Karabell, a Venezuelan American trumpeter, is the principal trumpet of the Jacksonville Symphony. He is an adjunct professor of trumpet at Jacksonville University and University of North Florida. Karabell is a Yamaha performing artist.   Karabell earned his Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance at Lynn Conservatory of Music as a student of Marc Reese and his Master of Music … Read More

Aaron Norlund is thrilled to join the Jacksonville Symphony as Acting Second Trumpet for the 2022-23 season. He has led a diverse freelance career in the Atlanta metro area, performing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera, Chattanooga Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, and numerous other regional groups. Aaron was a Fellow with the New World Symphony from 2015-2018. While orchestral playing … Read More

What do you want patrons of the Symphony to know about you? I grew up listening to trumpet recordings of Håkan Hardenberger, Wynton Marsalis, Herb Alpert, Al Hirt, Rafael Mendéz, Maurice André, and Miles Davis. My dad is a huge fan of the trumpet and would always play these recordings around the house. As a child in Philadelphia, he had … Read More