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Jay Wise, bass trombone

Jay Wise has been the bass trombonist of the Omaha Symphony since 1987.   He also performs on tenor and alto trombones, euphonium and tuba. For the past several years he has also served as Principal Trombone of the Lincoln Symphony, and has performed with orchestras in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Midland, Texas, and festivals in Flagstaff, Arizona and Fayetteville, Arkansas.

As an educator, he is on the music faculties at Creighton University and Iowa Western College, and maintains a busy private studio.

He earned his bachelor and masters of music from Northern Arizona University, and his doctorate from the University of Iowa.

As a free-lance musician, he has performed with Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Lou Rawls, The Temptations, Natalie Cole, The Four Freshmen, Frank Sinatra Jr., Joel Gray, Pam Tillis and many other entertainers, and has recorded with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and various American Gramophone artists. Other recordings include Columbia artist Pete Yorn and music for the PBS documentary Most Favorite Son.

In May of 2009, he was a featured soloist with the Lincoln Symphony, performing the Tomasi Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra.

Broadway fans in Omaha have heard Jay play in recent touring productions of Mary Poppins, The Lion King and Wicked.