JaKobe Henry is a crossover trumpet player, educator, and composer/arranger. He is pursuing his DMA in Jazz Performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign after completing his MM in Classical Trumpet Performance and his BA in Music Education. JaKobe’s recent instructors include Pat Harbinson (Jazz), Charles Daval (Classical), and Jim Pugh (Composition). Other notable teachers JaKobe has worked with include Ronald Romm, Tito Carrillo, Dr. Chris Probst, Dr. James Woodward, and several premier military band members. He works at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, and started working with the Mandarins in 2024.
JaKobe has had the opportunity to compete in and judge the National Trumpet Competition. In 2024, his composition was featured in the International Trumpet Guild New Works Competition. In 2023, he was awarded a spot in the Air Force Diversity Program, where he spent a week playing with the Concert Band in Washington, D.C. JaKobe has had the opportunity to play in almost every ensemble setting including Concert Band, Orchestra, Big Band, Jazz Combo, Musical Pit, Brass Quintet, Trumpet Ensemble, Latin Jazz Ensemble, and Marching Band, giving him a breadth of knowledge in various styles and approaches to education.