Jay Wise

Biography

Jay Wise has been the bass trombonist of the Omaha Symphony since 1987.   He also performs on tenor, alto trombones and contrabass trombones, euphonium, and tuba.  For the past several years he has also served as Principal Trombone of the Lincoln Symphony and has performed with orchestras in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Midland, Texas, and festivals in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Fayetteville, Arkansas.

As an educator, he is on the music faculties at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Creighton University, and Iowa Western College, and maintains a busy private studio.

He earned his Bachelor and Master of Music from Northern Arizona University and his Doctorate from the University of Iowa.

As a free-lance musician, he has performed with Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Steve Allen, Lou Rawls, The Temptations, Natalie Cole, The Four Freshmen, Frank Sinatra Jr., Joel Gray, Pam Tillis and many other entertainers, and has recorded with the Las Vegas Lab Band, The Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and various American Gramophone artists.  Other recordings include Columbia Records artist Pete Yorn and the soundtrack for the PBS documentary “Most Favorite Son”.  

In May of 2009, he was a featured artist with the Lincoln Symphony, performing the Tomasi Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra.

Broadway fans in Omaha have heard Jay play in recent touring productions of Mary Poppins, The Lion King and Wicked.