Multifaceted trumpeter and composer Andrew Pelto brings his music to professional orchestras, chamber groups, jazz ensembles, and new music commissions. With a driving passion for music making, he combines a classical approach with inspiring performances and innovative projects. 

As a professional trumpeter, Andrew holds the 3rd trumpet chair with the Rogue Valley Symphony in Ashland, Oregon, and held the trumpet fellowship with Orchestra Next from 2023-2025. While doing his undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon, he was an active performer and educator in the community, with regular performances with groups such as the Eugene Symphony, Eugene Opera, and the Corvallis/OSU Symphony. Taking his experience north on Interstate 5, Pelto served as guest principal trumpet with the Salem Philharmonic from 2023-2024. 

These orchestral experiences, along with a multitude of jazz, chamber, and wind ensemble performances, have made Andrew a well balanced musician. As a member of the Oregon Jazz Ensemble, he toured Oregon and Washington giving masterclasses, leading sectionals, and performing world class big band concerts. He has also been a part of new music commissions and premiers, collaborating with composers and other musicians to continue bringing new music to the world. In Baltimore, Andrew is a member of the newly formed Patuxent Brass Quintet.

Along with performing, Andrew is a composer/arranger, bridging the gap between standard classical music and the ever evolving genre of contemporary sounds. His compositions for solo trumpet include 8 Scenes from Oregon, a book of etudes written to evoke the scenic imagery of Pelto’s home state. He has also arranged for chamber ensembles on the national stage, having his arrangement of Carmen Fantasy performed at the 2025 National Trumpet Competition by the University of Oregon Trumpet Ensemble. Andrew is currently working on a new arrangement of Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for the Peabody Conservatory’s Trumpet Ensemble. 

More notably, Andrew has made his name known on a national scale by participating in multiple summer festivals, most recently holding a fellowship with Festival Napa Valley in their Festival Orchestra. Pelto was also a student at the Eastern Music Festival in 2024, studying with Chris Gekker, performing principal roles in the orchestras, and playing in the Eastern Festival Orchestra. Other festival experiences include the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and playing in the Varna International Opera Orchestra. 

Andrew currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, and studies with Mr. Anthony Prisk at the Peabody Conservatory. Previous teachers include Dr. Mikio Sasaki, Ms. Sarah Viens, and Mr. Brian McWhorter at the University of Oregon. He holds a Bachelors in Trumpet Performance from Oregon, is currently on track to earn his Masters degree at Peabody in 2027.