Marvin C. Perry, II retired from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2018 after 43 years, 40 years as Principal Trumpet. Born and raised in Birmingham, AL, he earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and his Master of Music Education degree from the University of Montevallo. The University of Montevallo also conferred upon him the President’s Award for outstanding achievement in the performing arts and named him distinctive alumnus. His primary teachers include Arnold Jacobs, Lloyd Geisler, Sidney Mear, John Head, and Walter Moeck. While at the Eastman School of Music he performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded on the CRI and Vox labels with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and the Eastman Brass Ensemble. He played three years with the U.S. Army Band in Washington, DC, where he appeared as soloist with the Band as well as with other ensembles in the area. Following that, he performed for two seasons with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (now the Alabama Symphony). He also taught at Butler University in Indianapolis, the University of Indianapolis, Grace College, and has served as visiting instructor of music at Indiana University, and DePauw University. He occasionally worked as a brass clinician in the Midwest and has appeared as a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. From the summers of 2010 to 2017 he taught and performed in the People’s Republic of China with a faculty team from the Christian Performing Artists’ Fellowship, with which he has been affiliated since 2001. He and his wife Anne have five children with ages ranging from 32 to 50 years and 5 grandchildren. They have been active through the years in their local church in music ministry and with ministry to adults with disabilities.
