Dr. J. Peyden Shelton has rapidly earned a reputation as an active clinician and performer throughout the United States and Canada.  He has been featured as a soloist with various ensembles including the Salt Lake Symphony, Reston Symphony Orchestra, University of North Texas Wind Ensemble, Winds of the Blue Ridge, Utah Wind Ensemble, Eastman Brass Ensemble, and Cornell Wind Ensemble.  As a chamber and ensemble musician, he has performed numerous groups including the Utah Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas and Esa-Pekka Salonen.  He has also been a featured performer with various artists such as Pharrell Williams, Gloria Estefan, The Beach Boys, and Gloria Gaynor.  In 2014, Dr. Shelton was awarded 1st place in the Graduate Soloist Division of the National Trumpet Competition performing Joseph Turrin’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra.  Since that time, he has presented solo recitals at numerous universities and has been featured as a guest artist at various festivals including the Virginia Tech Trumpet Festival, and the Mid-Atlantic Trumpet Festvial. 

As an educator, Dr. Shelton currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Utah’s School of Music. Before joining the faculty at the University of Utah, he served on the faculties at both the University of Rochester and Cornell University as a Lecturer of Trumpet.  Dr. Shelton has presented clinics and masterclasses at universities and conferences all over the United States including the International Trumpet Guild Conference, and International Horn Symposium.  His articles have been featured in the International Trumpet Guild Journal, where he also serves as a member of the ITG Journal’s Music Review Team and Book Review Team.  His current projects, including The Trumpet Repertoire Project, creates and promotes new works for undergraduate performance that encourages the development of technical and music expression that reflects the compositional voices of contemporary American composers.

Dr. Shelton holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music, having studied with Professor James Thompson and Douglas Prosser.  He also holds degrees from both the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and Virginia Tech studying under Professor Craig Morris and Dr. John Adler.  Dr. Shelton is a Yamaha Performing Artist. He can be heard on Summit Records, SNOtone Records, as well as in the 4th edition of the Samuel Adler Orchestration Textbook by W.W. Norton & Company.

More information about Dr. Shelton’s performance schedule, and how you can become a member of the University of Utah’s Trumpet Studio can be found at www.peydenshelton.com