Fred Irby, III, a native of Mobile, Alabama, is
a graduate of Grambling State University (Louisiana)
and Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville). As Professor
of Music at Howard University in Washington, DC, he
is the Coordinator of Instrumental Music, trumpet instructor,
and Director of the internationally acclaimed Howard
University Jazz Ensemble (HUJE).
Mr. Irby is also Principal
Trumpet of the Kennedy Center Opera House Show Orchestra
and has recorded several films for the History Channel.
He can be heard playing principal trumpet on the
cast recording of Stephen Sondheim's latest musical BOUNCE.
The
HUJE has 30 recordings to its credit, given concerts
in China, Japan, Romania, Haiti, Trinidad, Jamaica,
Guatemala, Colombia, US Virgin Islands, Martinique. He
was featured on the 1992, 1996 and 2005 Kennedy
Center Honors Gala (CBS-TV), and served as
Music Director for the Washington Ballet during its visit
in 2002 to Havana, Cuba for the 17th
International Ballet Festival. Irby visited
Caracas, Venezuela (February 3-7, 2004) with the
Howard University Jazztet giving lectures at several
universities. In 2005, he took the HUJE to Japan
to give benefit concerts for the children and families
that were afflicted by the Tsunami.
Mr. Irby holds active membership
in the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, IAJE: The International
Association for Jazz Education, MENC: The National Association for
Music Education, The American Federation of Musicians
and is a member of the Board of Directors of the
International Women's Brass Conference.
In Performance