Home » Member Page
John Yao
NYC based trombonist, composer, arranger, educator John Yao leads his own small groups and big band all of which feature his unique, forward-looking compositions.
About Me
For almost twenty years, John Yao has been honing his talents as a trombonist, composer and arranger, and cementing his place on the New York City jazz scene. Yao’s lyrical soloing and expressive, round tone, combined with his relentless drive to push the boundaries of harmony and rhythm, have established him as a unique and forward-thinking jazz talent. Yao has earned wide acclaim. In April 2025 he was appointed to the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows in the field of Music Composition. In 2023, Yao earned a place in both the Rising Star Trombone and Rising Star Big Band categories in the DownBeat Critics Poll. Lucid Culture proclaims, “John Yao is one of New York’s elite trombonists,” and All About Jazz calls him “a strong compositional voice and effective band-leader able to use his 17-piece band to paint across a wide spectrum and infuse his complex writing with a thoughtful balance of audacity, structure, humor, and sonic might.”
Masterfully leading and composing the music for both his large and small ensemble, Yao has released five albums as a leader. First was the John Yao Quintet’s debut album In the Now (2012) followed by Presence (2017). In between, Yao released his first triumphant big band album Flip Flop (2015) by John Yao and His 17-piece Instrument. John Yao’s Triceratops recent albums How We Do (2019) and Off-Kilter (2022) have been called “complex, modernistic and updated, full of counterpoint, it’s very accessible and so much fun” by Hot House Jazz.
As a trombonist, Yao has worked extensively as a sideman for Grammy-award winning New York City ensembles, such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. He has also performed with such esteemed musicians as Paquito D’Rivera, Eddie Palmieri, Danilo Perez, Chris Potter and Kurt Elling, among many others.
As a composer, Yao has been commissioned by Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, JMI Jazz World Orchestra Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, JMI Jazz World Orchestra, Arsonore Spirit Orchestra and numerous other ensembles abroad both educational and professional.
An in-demand educator, Yao serves as Assistant Professor of Trombone at Berklee College of Music and Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and as Adjunct Professor of Music at Molloy University. He is an XO Brass Clinician, as well as an active guest artist and soloist at colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad.
For booking information contact [email protected]
