B i o g r a p h y

Isaac Hopkins received his Bachelor of Music degree from Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music and Master of Music degrees in both Music Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan. In 2022 he received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University. He is currently the orchestra director and assistant band director at McPherson Middle/High School and is and adjunct instructor at McPherson College and Kansas Wesleyan University. In 2023 he won the 2nd trumpet position with the Salina Symphony where he currently performs.

 

Dr. Hopkins has published arrangements, a method book, written for music journals, and presented at professional conventions. His DMA dissertation focused on brass quintet pedagogy and music was later adapted and published under the title “Quintet Guidebook: A Comprehensive Method for Developing a Brass Quintet”. Most recently, he presented on brass pedagogy at the Kansas Bandmasters Association. He has written articles for the International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Journal where he is still a writer for the Book Review, Music Review, and Product/App Review columns.

 

While at Michigan State University, Dr. Hopkins was a graduate teaching assistant where he taught private lessons, brass technique courses, and performed as a member of the faculty brass quintet, Beaumont Brass Quintet. Previously, he taught as an adjunct instructor at Barton Community College, Tabor College, and Central Christian College. He was also principal trumpet of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra and a full member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has performed as substitute trumpet with many renowned ensembles including the Grand Rapids Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and Jackson Symphony Orchestra.