SHORT BIO:

Dr. Louis Setzer is the Brass Area Coordinator and Lecturer of Low Brass at Northern Kentucky University. In addition to overseeing the low brass studio at NKU, Louis directs the brass choir and teaches courses in music theory.

Louis has appeared as a soloist at the International Trombone Festival and the American Trombone Workshop. He is the Acting Principal Trombone of the Richmond (IN) Symphony and is an active freelancer in the tri-state area.

Louis can be heard with duo partner Joseph Rebman (harp) on their debut album, “JOLO Duo, The Bounds of Spring”. This album contains eight previously unrecorded solos for trombone and harp. It was a direct result of Louis’ book “Solo Literature for Trombone and Harp, An Annotated Bibliography.” This book contains information on over 200 solos, transcriptions, and chamber works featuring the trombone and harp.

Louis earned his BM in Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, his MM in Trombone Performance from The Pennsylvania State University, where he served as the Graduate Teaching Assistant for Mark Lusk, and his DMA from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His primary teachers were Stephen McEuen, Mark Lusk, Timothy Anderson, and Peter Norton.

LONG BIO:

Dr. Louis Setzer is the Brass Area Coordinator and Lecturer of Low Brass at Northern Kentucky University. In addition to overseeing the low brass studio at NKU, Louis directs the brass choir and teaches courses in music education and music theory. Prior to his time at NKU, he was a member of the music faculty at Marian University. At Marian he taught low brass lessons, courses in music theory, worked as brass staff for the marching and concert bands, and served as the Director of the Marian University Pep Band. 

Louis is the author of Solo Literature for Trombone and Harp – An Annotated Bibliography. This book contains information on over 200 solos, transcriptions, and chamber works featuring the trombone and harp. He is an advocate for new music, and has commissioned and recorded several works for trombone and harp as a direct result of this book. Louis and harpist Joseph Rebman formed the JOLO (Joe Lou) Duo to raise awareness for this genre of music through performance, and collaboration of new works. JOLO Duo released their debut album in February 2020, JOLO Duo: The Bounds of Spring. It features eight previously unrecorded works for trombone and harp. They maintain an active schedule, and have been invited to perform at international festivals and universities throughout the country.

Louis has had several notable playing opportunities in the US and abroad. Recent solo engagements include performing Drew Bonner’s Reveries at the International Trombone Festival and his own arrangement of Four Songs from Dichterliebe at the American Trombone Workshop. Louis was selected as a member of the William Cramer Professor’s Trombone Choir at the International Trombone Festival. He has appeared as a soloist with band performing Bert Appermont’s Colors for Trombone, Tyler S. Grant’s Paceline, Joseph Turrin’s Fandango for Solo Trombone, Trumpet and Wind Ensemble and Frank Gulino's Capriccio. He was a featured soloist of the Penn State alumni trombone choir on their concert tour of Santiago Cuba.

Louis is the Acting Principal Trombone of the Richmond (IN) Symphony and an active freelancer in the midwest region. He has performed with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (OH), Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra (OH), Louisville Masterchorale (KY), Queen City Opera (OH), Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra (OH), Concert:nova (OH), Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra (MI), Columbus Indiana Philharmonic (IN), Springfield Symphony Orchestra (OH), Anderson Symphony Orchestra (IN), Kentucky Symphony Orchestra (KY), Middletown Symphony Orchestra (OH), Southwest Ohio Philharmonic (OH), Williamsport Symphony Orchestra (PA), Altoona Symphony (PA), Nittany Valley Symphony (PA), State College Choral Society (PA), and the Pennsylvania Centre Chamber Orchestra (PA). He has also participated in several summer festivals and workshops, including the Pierre Monteux School, Atlantic Music Festival, Music at Penn's Woods Music Festival, Summer Trombone Workshop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Cleveland Trombone Seminar.

Louis is a native of Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, where he studied trombone with Stephen McEuen. He earned his Master of Music in Trombone Performance from The Pennsylvania State University, where he served as the Trombone Graduate Teaching Assistant for Mark Lusk. At Penn State he taught the trombone methods course and served as the assistant conductor of the trombone choir. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he studied with Timothy Anderson (principal trombone - Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra) and Peter Norton (bass trombone - Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra). He was co-director of the trombone choir at CCM where he conducted them in a performance at the American Trombone Workshop.