Ernie Hammes is a Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

 trumpeter who specializes in jazz but also plays classical music. He has played both solo and as first trumpet in the Big Bop Nouveau

Big Bop Nouveau

Big Bop Nouveau is a band formed in the late 1980s by the late jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson. Originally composed of four trumpets, two trombones and four saxophones plus a rhythm section , it was later reduced to what has become known as the "pocket big band" format, consisting of three...

 band, travelling to more than 25 countries while solidly supporting the Luxembourg jazz scene.

Biography

Born on 18 August 1968 in Esch-sur-Alzette

Esch-sur-Alzette

Esch-sur-Alzette is a commune with city status, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the country's second city, and its second-most populous commune, with a population of 29,853 people...

, he studied at the Conservatories of Esch-sur-Alzette and Metz

Metz

Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...

 and later at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and the Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...

 in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. Since 1997, when he played in the Birdland

Birdland (jazz club)

Birdland is a jazz club started in New York City on December 15, 1949. The original Birdland, which was located at 1678 Broadway, just north of West 52nd Street in Manhattan, was closed in 1965 due to increased rents, but it re-opened for one night in 1979...

 and Blue Note

Blue Note (jazz clubs)

The Blue Note is a jazz club and restaurant located at in Greenwich Village, New York City. Opened in 1981 by owner and founder Danny Bensusan, the club is now considered one of the world's most famous jazz venues...

 jazz clubs in New York, he has travelled widely to clubs and jazz festivals across Europe and North America. Recent venues have included festivals in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

, Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, New Orleans, Karlsbad

Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...

 (Czech Republic) and Cleveland, Ohio. He has also played in Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club which has operated in London since 1959.The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was managed by musicians Ronnie Scott and Pete King. In 1965 it moved to a larger venue nearby at 47 Frith Street...

 in London and at the Montreux

Montreux Jazz Festival

The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...

, Den Haag

North Sea Jazz Festival

The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam...

 and Toronto festivals. He is the only European to have been a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...

.

In his native Luxembourg, he is the founder (1993), director and lead trumpet in the Luxembourg Jazz Orchestra and, since 1987, has been a member of the Musique militaire grand-ducale (the Luxembourg Army Band

Luxembourg Military Band

The Luxembourg Military Band, known locally as the Musique militaire grand-ducale, was founded in 1842 and has been a major contributor to Luxembourg's musical heritage...

) where he is lead trumpet and, since 1994, leader of the big band.

As for classical music, he has played with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...

, the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra

Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra

The Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra , abbreviated to OPL, is the national orchestra of Luxembourg, and is based in Luxembourg City. The orchestra formerly performed at the Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg and the Conservatoire de Luxembourg...

and the Latvian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.

Discography

• 1997: "Festival", classical tumpet works with orchestra/organ
• 2000: "Stepwise", with Bob Mintzer.
• 2005: "Night Lights", with EHG at the Inoui in Redange, Luxembourg.
• 2006: "Trumpet Classics", baroque and romantic works for trumpet/piccolo trumpet and organ as well as with brass quintet.
• 2006: "MF Horn 6 – Live at Ronnie’s" – with Maynard Ferguson & Big Bop Nouveau, live recording at the Ronnie Scotts's Jazz Club in London.
• 2007: "Freed & Feier", music for the fireworks, Luxembourg National Day 2007.