Trumpet Lessons

Alexander is a conductor, trumpet player, and music educator. He has served as the Assistant Conductor for the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and conducted youth orchestras at the El Sistema-modeled social program at the Saint James Music Academy in Vancouver. Alexander has attended the conducting workshops of Don Schleicher, Larry Rachleff, and at the Cabrillo Festival in Santa Cruz, California, under Cristian Macelaru.

In addition to his own formal degrees in trumpet performance, including a doctorate from the University of British Columbia, Cannon studied at the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Pierre Monteux School in Maine, the Lake Placid Institute in New York, and the Center for Advanced Studies at Chosen Vale in New Hampshire. Cannon has performed on trumpet with Vancouver Opera, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver New Music, the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, the Turning Point Ensemble, Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, and the Vancouver Chamber Choir. He has served as the guest principal trumpet (and on occasion as a soloist) with many BC regional orchestras including the Prince George, Kamloops, and Okanagan Symphonies.

Cannon has also played for and conducted projects devoted to new chamber music compositions. He has led the Erato Ensemble as the Ensemble in Residence at Vancouver's annual Sonic Boom Festival, and performed on trumpet for a number of Vancouver's Music on Main events. Alexander has performed at International Trumpet Guild Conventions in Dallas, TX and Bangkok, Thailand, the Las Vegas Music Festival, the Dublin International Festival in Ireland, the Chaiyi International Band Festival in Taiwan, the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition in Pasadena, CA and the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, Indiana.

Dr. Cannon served as the Head of Brass at the Vancouver Academy of Music, with his brass students attending Interlochen, Tanglewood, California Institute of the Arts, the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, the University of Victoria, and the Curtis Institute. He is currently the Music Director for the Guelph Youth Symphony Orchestra and enjoys an active schedule as a sought freelance performer and conductor, educator, ensemble contractor, arranger, and adjudicator.