Jesse Baker is a freelance trumpeter in and around the Atlanta, Marietta, and Kennesaw areas in Georgia. He received his bachelor’s degree in Music Performance cum laude from Kennesaw State University in May 2016. During his time at KSU, he participated in various ensembles at the university including Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Trumpet Ensemble, and Brass Quintet. Currently, Jesse performs frequently with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, having played on works such as Stravinsky’s Petrushka, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. As a member of the Georgia Brass band, he also performs on cornet throughout the state of Georgia. Jesse also plays trumpet in a local mariachi group called Mariachi Búhos de Oro, made up of KSU music students and alumni, playing several public and private events per year. Jesse is also an active member of Tara Winds, where he continues to play in a professional wind ensemble setting. Recently, Jesse was accepted as a member of Big Band Atlanta, where he continues his love for big band jazz music. Also as a recent member of Brother Brown and the Soul Reunion, he enjoys playing a combination of soul and rock music throughout the Atlanta area. Jesse also occasionally plays with various other groups in the Atlanta area such as the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra and Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra.
During the summer of 2016, Jesse was selected as a winner of the International Trumpet Guild Conference Scholarship, traveling to Anaheim, California to participate in the conference and accept the scholarship. During the same summer, Jesse was also offered a scholarship to attend the Rafael Méndez Brass Institute in Denver, Colorado, where he participated in several master classes and played in a brass choir instructed by David Hickman.
Jesse’s main teachers have included KSU trumpet professor Dr. Douglas Lindsey and Professor Michael Tiscione of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.