Adam Solomon

Journey

Adam Solomon is a trumpet player, composer, and arranger born and raised in Maryland. Adam began playing his fathers trumpet at the age of 9 after being inspired by Clifford Brown’s recording of Easy Living. Soon after, Adam started studying classical trumpet with Justine Miller and performed in local youth orchestras, brass quintets, and All-State bands. At the age of 14, Adam was accepted to the Interlochen Center for the Arts Camp where he studied trumpet pedagogy with Vince Dimartino and jazz trumpet with Jason Palmer. At Interlochen, Adam received an outstanding soloist award for his performance of the Arutunian Trumpet Concerto. Upon returning from Interlochen, Adam enrolled in his high school’s jazz band, joined Paul Carr’s Jazz Orchestra, and began attending jam sessions in the D.C./Baltimore area. As a part of the Paul Carr Jazz Orchestra, Adam had the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center and the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival.

In 2020, Adam formed an R&B band, The Portobellos, with classmates and friends from the DC music scene. The Portobellos regularly perform in D.C. and released their debut DIY album entitled Don’t Call it a Genre in 2021. Adam composed and performed trumpet and piano on this album. In 2021, Adam also recorded an album entitled On the Sunny Side and regularly gigged with the Powerhouse Brass Quintet. In Powerhouse Adam performed at the White House and participated in the National Fischoff Chamber Competition. During his Senior year of high school, Adam hard work culminated in receiving the honor of first chair trumpet in the NAfME All-Eastern Band.

Upon graduation, Adam enrolled at the University of Michigan (UM) Ann Arbor with a half tuition music scholarship where he earned dual degrees in Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation and Public Policy. Outside of music, Adam is passionate about environmental policy and aspires to make a meaningful impact in the field of climate resilience. At UM, he studied jazz trumpet, composition, and arranging under the mentorship of renowned educator and musician Kris Johnson. As a four-year member of the UM Jazz Ensemble, Adam performed at major venues including the Detroit Jazz Festival—where he performed an original composition in 2024—and Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola. Adam composes and arranges for small and large jazz ensembles as well as horn sections. He regularly performs with the funk band VUP, appearing at venues such as the Black Cat Jazz Club in San Francisco and Nublu in New York City. After graduating from Michigan in 2025, Adam returned to the DMV area, where he works as a freelance musician. Adam has had the honor of sharing the stage with acclaimed artists including Terell Stafford, Randy Brecker, Jeff Hamilton, and D.C.’s Queen of the Blues, Carly Harvey.