Scott Shelsta, trombone soloist with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s
Own” from 1974-2004, who has performed for all US Presidents during those years and is one of the
great trombone virtuosos of our time, is the featured soloist for On the Town Square, the Manassas
Symphony Free Pops Concert on Sunday, August 18, 2019, at Harris Pavilion in Historic Downtown Manassas.
Shelsta steps back in history to bring the thrill of 1890s America to the 21st century audience. Re-enacting
the style of famous trombonists, Arthur Pryor (b. 1870) and Frederick Innes (b. 1854), he tells the story of
a time and a way of life when large crowds would gather around the bandstand for an afternoon of dazzling
musical entertainment by the concert bands of Hall, Gilmore, Liberati, Innes, Sousa, and Pryor, as well as
their own town band.
A native of Hayti, SD, Scott Shelsta earned the BS in Music Education from Augustana College where he
studied with Tom Ellwein, a former member of the US Marine Band “The President’s Own.”
While teaching public school instrumental music in Luverne, MN, Shelsta continued his performance education
completing his Masters Degree in Brasswind Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Northern Colorado
where he studied with the acclaimed master teacher, Edwin “Buddy” Baker. During this time, he
toured with the famed Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Shelsta’s forte as a trombone artist centers around the turn-of-the-century (1890-1920) style of
playing. These types of solos are extremely demanding and seldom heard in public. The artist must obtain a
careful balance between strength and flexibility—the age-old problem of brass players everywhere.
Shelsta also plays every genre of music and has a wide range of professional playing experience, from
symphonic to jazz. He has been featured as a soloist or clinician at virtually every major educational
conference. Tours have taken him to Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Japan, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden
and Scotland, and all 50 states.
Shelsta also plays every genre of music and has a wide range of professional playing experience, from
symphonic to jazz. He has been featured as a soloist or clinician at virtually every major educational
conference. Tours have taken him to Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Japan, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden
and Scotland, and all 50 states.
Shelsta was chairman of the Eastern Trombone Workshop from 1993 to 2004 and is a member of the International Trombone Association. He was the trombonist with the internationally acclaimed United States Army Band Brass Quintet for 30 years and will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Quintet as a soloist in concert with the Quintet alumni and the Army Band in 2012.
Currently, Shelsta keeps an active solo performance schedule with wind ensembles and symphony orchestras around the country. He, also, maintains a vast list of solos for trombone with winds or orchestra and spends much of his time arranging and editing scores for some of today’s top trombone performers.
All solo trombone music before the computer era of the 1990’s was riddled with errors. Shelsta has recently revised, corrected, and digitalized all solo trombone literature for winds as well as most orchestra trombone accompaniments. His efforts will be used by generations of future trombonists. Hence the trombone is the only musical instrument in history with all its solo music correctly edited. His arrangements include 28 solo pieces for young trombone players with winds or orchestra.
More information about Scott Shelsta and his performance schedule is available on his website: www.sousatrombone.com.