Rate My Professor Joel Brennan

Associate Professor Joel Brennan serves as Associate Professor in Music (Trumpet) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music within the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Melbourne. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, along with Master of Music, Master of Musical Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Yale University. Brennan maintains a diverse career as both a performer and educator, having performed with orchestras worldwide, including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. As a Yamaha Performing Artist, he has appeared in solo, chamber, and orchestral settings across North America, Europe, and Australia. His teaching career includes positions at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in the United States and his current role at the University of Melbourne since 2012. Brennan is actively involved in music performance research through ensembles such as Lyrebird Brass and Ensemble Three, contributing to contemporary brass repertoire development.

Brennan's contributions include the creation of Poper's Game, a unique practice application for trumpet players based on the pedagogy of Roy Poper. Key recordings feature Book of Brass on Navona Records, showcasing works by Jennifer Higdon and Grace-Evangeline Mason alongside colleagues Rosie Turner, Carla Blackwood, Don Immel, and Tim Buzbee; and Lyrebird Brass's Apex Predators, recorded during COVID-19 lockdowns at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Notable performances encompass Trombone Hero IV: Inspired by Paris, Brass and the City by Lyrebird Brass, and premieres such as Stuart Greenbaum's Sonata for Trumpet and Piano commissioned for him. He received the University of Melbourne Faculty of the VCA and MCM Teaching Award in 2014. Brennan holds governance positions, including Chair of the Australian Music Examinations Board Victoria, and serves as guest faculty at institutions like the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and The Tianjin Juilliard School. His work influences brass performance pedagogy and contemporary music commissioning in Australia and internationally.