Instructor
Trombone
Contact Information
Cogswell 316
Courses
- Applied Trombone
- Trombone Ensemble
- Class Brass
Education
- DMA, University of North Texas
- MM, Ohio University
- BSEd, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Biography
Jer Umholtz is currently instructor of trombone at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches Applied Trombone, Trombone Ensemble, and Brass Methods, and coaches various chamber ensembles including the Legacy Brass quintet. In addition to his appointment at IUP, Umholtz is currently acting second trombone with the Dallas Opera.
Prior to his appointment at IUP, he was principle trombone of the Sherman and Flower Mound Symphony Orchestras near Dallas, Texas. For six years he maintained an extensive low brass studio in various school districts throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where his students enjoyed success in a variety of assessments and competitions. As a freelance musician in Texas, he also performed with the Red River Lyric Opera in Wichita Falls, Allen Philharmonic, Rockwall Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Highland Park Highlander Concert Series. Umholtz also performed at the 2022 Colorado Mahlerfest and, as part of his doctoral dissertation defense, performed Jack Stamp’s "Divertimento for Trombone and Band" with the St. Olaf College Wind Ensemble with Stamp conducting.
Umholtz has performed and competed at numerous International Trombone Festivals. He performed at the 2021 and 2022 festivals with the Coal Hill Trombone Quartet and performed as a guest with the Ohio University Trombone Choir at the 2019 ITF. In 2018, he was an alternate candidate for the Frank Smith Tenor Trombone Competition and competed as a finalist for the 2018 ITF Trombone Quartet Competition with the Continental Quartet. That same year, he competed at the Lätzsch Trombone Festival in Germany. He was a performance class member of the 2017 Southeast Trombone Symposium.
Umholtz is currently in the finishing stages of his doctorate degree in trombone performance at the University of North Texas and holds degrees from Ohio University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. At UNT, he was a teaching fellow for three years, performed in the scholarship group the Center Brass Quintet, and was among several nominees for the Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Brass in spring 2019. His UNT students found success in music education positions as well as successful admission into reputable graduate trombone performance programs. Umholtz was also a teaching assistant at Ohio University and was the winner of the 2015 solo competition there.
As a student and performer, Umholtz performed under the batons of Eugene Corporon, Dennis Fisher, Jack Stamp, Andrew Trachsel, Jason Worzbyt, Daniel Dominick, Esteban Rojas Rodriguez, Emmanuel Villaume, and Kenneth Woods.
Understanding the value local music can contribute to local communities, Umholtz performs with several organizations based in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania: Upper Schuylkill Band of Shenandoah, Cressona Band, Pine Grove Community Band, and M&J Big Band of Pottsville.
Umholtz began his formal music training on piano in 1997 at the Braun School of Music in Pottsville with Larry and Marilu Koch. Initially beginning on trumpet, Umholtz switched to trombone, baritone, and tuba simultaneously under the guidance of Robert Jenkins in fall 2001 and continued to perform on these instruments with David Schmaldienst and Justin Welker through high school. Umholtz began collegiate trombone study at IUP with Christian Dickinson in 2010 and continued with teachers Lucas Borges of Ohio University and Tony Baker of the University of North Texas. Additional teachers, mentors, and coaches include Natalie Mannix and Steve Menard of UNT and James Erdman, retired, of Lebanon Valley College.