Robert Nagel

Robert Nagel (September 29, 1924 – June 5, 2016) was an American trumpet player, composer, and teacher. He was an early advocate for brass chamber music, especially the brass quintet. Nagel was the founder and director of the New York Brass Quintet, as well as a founding member of the International Trumpet Guild. He served as a faculty member of the Yale School of Music from 1957 - 1988. As a composer and arranger, Nagel wrote solo and small ensemble music, trumpet method books, and orchestral works. Biography Nagel was born in Freeland, Pennsylvania. At the age of 8, he began playing the trumpet as part of a school band program. At the age of 13, Nagel performed a cornet solo on a national radio broadcast with the Armco Band. Nagel studied composition at Juilliard with Peter Mennin and Vincent Persichetti, while also receiving instruction during the summer at Tanglewood with Aaron Copland. After graduation, Nagel worked as a freelance trumpet player in New York City, performing with radio orchestras such as the NBC Symphony Orchestra. As a founding member of the International Trumpet Guild, Nagel promoted the composition and arrangement of new music for brass instruments, especial