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Trumpeter John Kilgore maintains a diverse career serving as Teaching Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Kansas State University and as Principal Trumpet of the Boise Philharmonic.

Kilgore joined the Boise Philharmonic as Principal Trumpet in 2017. He also performs principal trumpet for Ballet Idaho productions, on CINE Concert tours, and additional commercial music productions in the Treasure Valley. During the summer, Kilgore is a member of the Blue Lake Festival Orchestra, Festival Band and Faculty Brass Quintet in Twin Lake, MI. He has performed guest principal trumpet with the Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, was a former member of the Ocala (FL) Symphony Orchestra.

Since 2019, Kilgore has been on faculty at Kansas State University (KSU) where leads the trumpet studio. He also performs as a member of the KSU Faculty Brass Quintet. As an active clinician and teacher, Kilgore regularly presents masterclasses, lectures, and performances throughout North America. Select university engagements include The Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri Kansas City, The College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State University. Committed to teaching youth musicians, Kilgore serves on the trumpet faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, MI. Prior to KSU, Kilgore taught applied trumpet and chamber music at Boise State University and at Florida State University.

As a scholar, Kilgore is a regular contributor to the International Trumpet Guild Journal with both column articles and professional reviews. Recently, as a co-founder of Sapphire Brass, Kilgore was selected to premier Maravillas de la Patagonia by Catherine McMichael, a co-commission bras trio, at the 2024 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Anaheim, CA. Previously, he has been an invited soloist at the 2023 ITG Conference and as lecturer at the 2022 ITG Conference. In the spring 2024, Kilgore is presenting a duo recital at the SHE: Festival of Women in Music in Fayetteville, AK, featuring contemporary works for trumpet, horn, and piano.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Kilgore holds a Doctor of Music degree in Performance from Florida State University, a Master of Music in Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Ohio University. His primary teachers include John Schlabach, Alan Siebert, Philip Collins, Dr. Christopher Moore with additional studies from Marie Speziale.