Alex Bender

ALEX BENDER’s diverse experience reflects his commitment to both teaching and performance, performing nightly on Broadway, appearing regularly with symphony orchestras and serving as the Coordinator of Brass Studies and Artist-Teacher of Trumpet at the College of New Jersey.  

This fall, Mr. Bender begins the highly anticipated Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard, performs in City Center Encores' production of Ragtime, and embarks on his 10th season with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, serving as lead trumpet for all three. His previous Broadway credits include Paramour, Finding Neverland, the revivals of Spamalot and Side Show, and over 20 shows as a substitute.

His background also encompasses significant orchestral and classical experience. He has performed with the American Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Detroit, New Jersey, Grand Rapids, Harrisburg, Springfield (MA), Hartford, and Princeton Symphony Orchestras. From 2010 to 2013, he served as Principal Trumpet with New Jersey’s Symphony in C and performed Giuseppe Tartini’s Concerto in D on piccolo trumpet, led by Rossen Milanov. Mr Bender is also passionate about chamber music, having recently performed Kevin Puts’ Einstein on Mercer Street with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble.

This summer, he performed with Michael Bublé and Little Big Town at Radio City and appeared with Little Big Town on the Today Show. His TV credits also include performances with Josh Groban on Good Morning America, the 2017 Tony Awards broadcast, NBC’s Peter Pan Live!, and episodes of Amazon Prime’s upcoming series, Étoile.

Mr. Bender's passion for performance extends into the acting realm, where he originated a principal role in the Broadway production of Bandstand. This experience provided the opportunity to work closely with top industry acting coaches and adapt to performing as an actor. His journey continued with a role in John Doyle’s pre-Broadway production of August Rush. These experiences have inspired him to develop a unique technique for helping others overcome performance anxiety and unlock their musical potential, integrating insights from vocal pedagogy, acting, sports psychology, and peak performance training. This method was shared through a course he designed for Michigan State University and has been presented in classes at Baylor University, Southeast Missouri State, and for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.

Currently, Mr. Bender is pursuing a Doctorate (ABD) at Michigan State University, where he is completing his research remotely as a University Distinguished Fellow. While in Michigan, he co-taught the MSU Trumpet Studio during his professor’s sabbatical, developed a 14-week Commercial Trumpet course, and served on the faculty at Lansing Community College. He holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and James Madison University, having studied with notable teachers including Justin Emerich, Vince Penzarella, Mark Gould, Tom Smith, Jim Kluesner, Laurie Frink, and Bill Perbetsky.

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