Rochester-born musician Mike Cottone developed a love for music at a very young age. After being given a trumpet at the age of 10, it was clear where his love for music would be channeled. In high school, he began to explore the world of jazz thanks to his band director, Mr. Daniel McMurray. Mike was exposed to recordings of trumpet greats such as Louis Armstrong, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, and Roy Hargrove. Thanks to McMurray's guidance and inspiration, he began to develop his own soulful sound and passion for jazz.

 

Mike attended The Eastman School of Music where he was awarded the prestigious Howard Hanson Scholarship and the Rochester International Jazz Festival Scholarship. Mike began his studies as a double degree student in Jazz Performance and Music Education. He honed his skills under the direction of trumpet teachers Clay Jenkins of the Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra and Douglas Prosser, Principal Trumpeter with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. While playing in Eastman's New Jazz Ensemble and the Downbeat-award-winning Eastman Jazz Ensemble, Mike shared the stage with jazz giants such as Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, John Hollenbeck, Peter Erskine, Rufus Reid, and Marian McPartland. During his time between semesters at Eastman, Mike kept busy performing for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, the Commission Project, the Grand Hotel Orchestra on Mackinac Island, Michigan, and was a featured performer and clinician at the Rochester International Jazz Festival.

 

Mike completed his Masters degree at the Juilliard School where he studied with trumpet guru Chris Jaudes and jazz great Dr. Eddie Henderson. While at Juilliard, Mike also worked and performed with jazz masters such as Benny Golson, Terence Blanchard, Ron Blake, Ted Nash, Carl Allen, Ben Wolfe, Ray Drummond, and Joe Wilder. Mike led the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble on trips to Columbia, South America and Salt Lake City, Utah, and performed on the Queen Mary 2 as a guest artist.

 

Now a full-time resident in New York City, Mike performs weekly at the Bar Basque Restaurant and the Black Duck Restaurant. He has also performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at Rose Hall, and in various venues such as Smalls Jazz Club, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, the Four Seasons Restaurant, the Living Room, Rockwood Music Hall, and with the Broadway Production of "HAIR." Mike was recently a featured performer for the Blue Note's Emerging Artist Series where he premiered many of his latest works for his debut album, Just Remember, as well as a featured Monday night artist at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola.

 

Mike is proud to announce that he will be a member of the Thelonious Monk Institute's class of 2012 in Los Angeles this fall, under the direction of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, and Kenny Burrell.