Charlie Hall
bass trombone
Hometown: Westwood, NJ
Alma maters: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.M., 2023; Mannes School of Music, M.M., 2025
Photo credit
Awards/Competitions
Robert E. Gray Trombone Award, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2021
Appearances
Eastern Music Festival, Greensboro, NC, 2023–24
Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
During my final year at the University of Illinois, I had the great privilege of studying with Douglas Yeo, the former bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. My year studying with Mr. Yeo was an eye-opening one; he helped me improve not only as a musician, but as a person as well. I also learned a great deal from Nicholas Schwartz and Demian Austin, my teachers at Mannes. They both helped me greatly improve my practice efficiency and musicality.
What made you decide to become a musician? Was there a particular performance or person that influenced your decision?
I come from a musical family; my father is a tuba player, my step-father is a jazz vibraphonist, and my mother used to play the violin. Music has been around me my whole life! I love orchestral music, and I absolutely love playing the trombone, especially while sitting in the back row of an orchestra. My dream job is to play in an orchestra, and getting to play in TŌN is a dream come true for me.
How did you hear about TŌN? What inspired you to apply?
I heard about TŌN during my studies at Mannes. Many Mannes graduates have gone on to TŌN after finishing at Mannes, so I guess I followed in their footsteps! Also, I feel that TŌN is the perfect next step in my orchestral career. I want more orchestral experience, and I’m so excited to get that with the other talented musicians in TŌN.
How would you like to see orchestra concerts evolve in the future?
I would like to see orchestras shift towards programming more accessible concerts for younger generations. Live movie soundtracks, video game soundtracks, concert versions of Broadway shows, cross-genre collaborations, etc. We need to fight for our audiences, and I believe orchestras should program anything that will get the average person into the concert hall and get them to appreciate what orchestras can do.