Musician Spotlights - Robert Giambruno, Trumpet

Sunday the 10th is National Trumpet Day, so we’re getting a head start and continuing our celebration of our trumpet players with Robert, also joining the symphony for the first time this season as an acting principal trumpet!

I was born and raised in San Francisco. I went out to Arizona for my bachelor’s degree, and then returned to San Francisco for my master’s degree. I’ve been an active freelancer in the Bay Area since returning. 

I actually originally wanted to play the trombone, because my dad used to play the trombone. However, when in school they started asking us what we wanted to play, my arms weren’t long enough to operate the slide, so I chose trumpet with the intention of switching to trombone later, which ended up never happening! I’m actually not sure if my arms are even long enough to get all the way out to seventh position now that I’m fully grown. 

It’s a lovely, and talented group of musicians. After a challenging year not getting to play with any other humans, it’s such a breath of fresh air getting on stage with such a great group and work together to play some great music! The Rogue Valley is also just such a beautiful part of the country, and I love getting to spend time in the area!

My biggest hobby outside of music is cooking. I find cooking fun and interesting because it allows for a different type of creativity than playing music. I love experimenting with new ingredients and recipes (and getting to eat the food afterward never hurts either.) Plus getting to share with loved ones is always a heartwarming experience! I also love to play pickup basketball or soccer whenever I get the chance to do so. 

One time when shooting a promotional video for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, I decided it would be a good idea to hide in a bush with my trumpet, and upon popping out found that I had dented it in multiple places, some of which remain to this day!