Biography
Corey Nance is an active musician and educator based in Broomfield, Colorado pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Trombone Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder.
He currently holds the position of Principal Trombone with the Symphony of the Rockies, Boulder Symphony, and Longmont Symphony. In addition to these musical commitments, he can be found performing with a number of ensembles across the Front Range, at high-profile weddings with the Jordan Kahn Music Company, or with his best friends in their trombone quartet, Four Higher.
As an educator, he has presented at the 2023 Big XII Trombone Conference and the 2023 International Trombone Festivals while completing his Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance from West Texas A&M University with a youth trombone choir he founded named the Buff Bone Initiative. In the Spring of 2025 he replicated this initiative at the University of Colorado Boulder with the Sko Bone Project, a trombone choir created to serve the students of the surrounding Boulder area through regular rehearsals, masterclasses, performance opportunities, and outreach. Both of these projects have had profound impacts on the students they serve through a series of exciting opportunities to grow and experience life through music.
Outside of his studies, he holds the position of Brass Mentor for the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra and Vice President of the International Trombone Association Student Council.
Corey has had the pleasure of participating in a number of festivals across the world. He is proud to have attended the Southeast Trombone Symposium (STS) Southwest Trombone Conference, National American Brass Band Association, and Punto Arte Festival. Additionally, he was a finalist in the 2023 STS Orchestral Excerpt Competition. Look forward to the summer of 2026, he is excited to have been a selected fellow for the California Music Festival, Eastern Festival of Music, and the OAcademy Orchestral Residency.
He is currently completing an Artist Diploma with OAcademy and is proud to hold degrees from West Texas A&M University and the University of Colorado Boulder.
Artistic Statement
A love for life and for the music that springs from it encompasses everything I bring to performance and teaching. As a trombonist and educator, I believe authentic contribution begins with curiosity and joy. My primary aim is to help each student find that love for their instrument; technical mastery follows when expression is discovered and cultivated.
As principal trombone of the Symphony of the Rockies, Boulder Symphony, and Longmont Symphony, I strive to shape music that moves listeners and honors the emotional core of repertoire. Offstage, I build communities where access, mentorship, and discovery thrive. I founded the Buff Bone Initiative, which performed at the 2023 International Trombone Festival in Salt Lake City, and I currently lead the Sko Bone Project. These youth trombone ensembles are catalysts for identity, teamwork, and musical risk taking and are places where students learn to listen, lead, and grow.
My teaching centers on musical ownership: celebrating small victories, modeling curiosity, and creating performance opportunities that build confidence. I prioritize musical meaning over mechanical perfection, trusting that disciplined technique grows from motivated, engaged learners. Ultimately, my work is relational. Music is a language of care that bridges generations, cultures, and communities. By fostering enthusiasm first, I aim to cultivate musicians who play with purpose, teachers who inspire with generosity, and ensembles that remind us why we make music at all. That is to connect, to feel, and to contribute authentically to the world.