Derek Jacoby (24/12/1978), an American composer. Born in San Pablo, California and raised in Richmond, Jacoby studied piano and trumpet in his childhood and focused on jazz trumpet in high school, performing with the Northern California Grammy All-Star High School Jazz Ensemble for two years. While a student at California State University, Hayward (CSUH), he performed as a trumpet soloist under guest artists Louie Bellson, Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, and Bobby Shew, received the Outstanding Collegiate Trumpeter Award at the 2001 Reno Jazz Festival, and recorded his arrangement of Chick Corea's "Mirror, Mirror" with the CSUH Jazz Ensemble.
Jacoby started to compose in 1998, studying with Jeffrey Miller and changing his major from trumpet performance to composition. He continued his studies with Lee Hyla at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and in fall 2004 at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Jacoby's music has been performed by the CSUH Chorus and Wind Ensemble, New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, Parker String Quartet, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and the choruses of Cornell University, San Francisco State University, and University of Oregon. Current projects include a several chamber pieces and a work for the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble.
His first compositions date from only as far back as 1998 even though he started studying piano in 1985, at the age of six, followed by trumpet at the age of eleven. While still pursuing classical trumpet and piano, Jacoby's performance focus, with the influence of Miles Davis, turned mainly to jazz trumpet by high school, culminating in performances with the Northern California Grammy All-Star High School Jazz Ensemble for two years. During his time at California State University Hayward, Derek performed as a soloist under guest artists Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, Bobby Shew and Louie Bellson, was awarded the Outstanding Collegiate Trumpeter Award at the 2001 Reno Jazz Festival and recorded his arrangement of Chick Corea's Mirror, Mirror with the CSUH Jazz Ensemble on their album, Metro.
With the help of Jeffrey Miller, Jacoby started to compose for the first time and in his junior year he changed his major from trumpet performance to composition, graduating magna cum laude in 2001. A student of Lee Hyla, he completed his master's degree in composition at the New England Conservatory of Music.