Faculty

Profile

Ed Neumeister´s profile is the result of long and deep experience. As a performer he has been at the forefront of creative music for more than 40 years developing a unique voice. Having also worked with high level classical orchestras and ensembles nurtured his focus on conducting and composing.

Ed Neumeister was born in Topeka Kansas and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 50’s and 60’s. He began playing music at the age of 5 with trumpet. He switched to trombone when he was nine. He was a longtime fixture on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene,  
 
After moving to New York in 1980, Ed performed for 15 years in the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and 19 years with the Mel Lewis Big Band (which during Neumeister’s tenure became the multi Grammy-nominated Vanguard Jazz Orchestra). Other renowned artists he performed and recorded with include Jerry Garcia, Gerry Mulligan, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn. Not limited stylistically he also collected experience by performing with classical orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Ballet.

In 1992, Ed toured for the first time as a guest soloist in Europe. Since then he has been invited extensively as a conductor and guest soloist in Europe and US. Many of these invitations include composition commissions because of his unique mixing from the traditions of Big Band Jazz and Contemporary Classical. His arrangement of „A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square“ was nominated for a Grammy Award. Through his conducting and composing activities Ed established, among others, a regular relationship with the Metropol Radio Orchestra (Netherlands) and the Budapest Jazz Orchestra (Hungary).

Beginning back in San Francisco, Ed has always been leading and composing for his own ensembles. He is the founder of the NeuHat Ensemble in New York, an 18-piece hybrid ensemble, and of ENJO Ed Neumeister Jazz Orchestra in New York and Los Angeles. As a leader, he has recorded eight albums and has been a sideman on many recordings classical, commercial and jazz.


Since 2007 Ed has also been active in the film music business. The film “Judith”, scored by Ed won many awards including Special Festival Mention (Best Score) of Delhi Shorts International Film Festival (Delhi, INDIA) and received a nomination for best music at London International Film Festival. He has contributed orchestrations for films such as “Inception”, “Sherlock Holmes, “The Dark Knight Rises” and the 2012 Academy Awards and has scored, as composer, several films.

“Suite Ellington”, “Wake Up Call” with his NeuHat Ensemble and “One & Only” a solo CD are three of Neumeisters’ recent releases.

Ed Neumeister was Professor of Jazz Trombone at the University of the Performing Arts, Graz Austria 1999 – 2017. He is now based in New York City.

He is currently teaching at the College of the Performing Arts at the New School University, New York University, City College of New York and William Patterson University.