Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Julia Tsuchiya-Mayhew is an active freelance trumpet player in the DMV area, mainly performing orchestral and chamber music. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in trumpet performance at University of Maryland, studying with Chris Gekker. Julia is a member of the new fellowship brass quintet there, known as Terrapin Brass. As a quintet, they participate in local outreach by coaching young musicians and performing concerts for the surrounding community. 

In addition to performing with Terrapin Brass this past school year, Julia has played principal trumpet in University of Maryland’s orchestra and wind orchestra, being featured in pieces such as Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Hindemith’s Symphony in B flat. She also recently played with the New World Symphony and Symphony of the Potomac as a substitute. She can be heard in UMD’s Gamer Symphony Orchestra playing first trumpet as well.

During her summers, Julia has played trumpet in orchestra programs all over the country, such as the National Repertory Orchestra, Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival and Miami Music Festival. This upcoming summer she will be a fellow at the National Orchestral Institute and Festival, which takes place in College Park, Maryland.

Before moving to Maryland, Julia earned her bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance at Northwestern University. She freelanced in the Chicago area after graduating, playing in local churches and as a substitute for orchestras, such as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Elmhurst Symphony and Lake Forest Civic Orchestra. During this time, she also was a member of Origin Brass, a brass quintet that specialized in performing music written by living composers. Julia’s principal teachers include Robert Sullivan, William Denton, Mike Walk and Matthew Lee.