bio

A native of Moorhead, MN, Cole Bartels is a genre-bending trombonist currently based in Madison, WI. At time of release, he is the Low Brass Instructor at Concordia University, an indemand freelancer of all styles around the Midwest, and educates high school and middle school low brass musicians. On any given day he can be found playing salsa in a night club, providing music for worship, performing in a symphony orchestra, teaching private lessons, or any other setting where one might hope to encounter a trombonist. As a classical artist, Bartels has committed himself to the performance of contemporary music, especially focusing on works by American composers and those from historically under-represented communities. His extensive solo and chamber commissioning projects have helped to expand the repertoire for trombone. Bartels holds degrees in trombone performance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Concordia College (Moorhead, MN), with additional certifications in jazz studies and music theory pedagogy. Previous teachers include Mark Hetzler, Dr. Alex van Duuren, Dr. Nat Dickey, and Dr. Ed Huttlin.