Andrew Watkins-Alcocer, DMA, is a trombonist and educator with a background in both performance and composition. Raised in Fresno, California, his passion for music was nurtured from a young age, leading to him pursuing an undergraduate degree at California State University, Fresno, followed by a master’s and doctorate at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.
As a performer, Alcocer was named “Outstanding College Trombonist” by the Reno Jazz Festival in both 2017 and 2018 and was a part of the “Outstanding Trombone Section” of the inaugural Jack Rudin Jazz Championships at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2020.
As a composer, Alcocer has been award 2nd place in the America Prize’s Ernst Bacon Memorial Award, the Global Music Award’s silver medal for his piece “Soliloquy,” as well as their bronze medal for his arrangement of “Storm,” and was recently selected to take part in masterclasses for the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers. His work can be heard internationally by various ensembles, artists, and on radio stations in countries such as Italy, Germany, Australia, and China.
Upon graduating from Eastman with his master’s, he was also awarded the “Ray Wright Award,” named after the founder of the school’s jazz department. In addition to his individual accomplishments, Alcocer has performed with various notable ensembles, including the Dave Rivello Ensemble, BIOdance, the Eastman Jazz Ensemble, Fresno's Jazz Composer's Orchestra, Rumba 3/2, the Sequoia Symphony Orchestra, and the Yosemite Symphony Orchestra.
Alcocer currently serves as Visiting Lecturer of Trombone and Jazz Ensemble at SUNY Geneseo teaching Jazz Ensembles, Trombone, and Commercial Music. He has previously held positions at Clovis Community College, Reedley College, and the University of Rochester as an Instructor of Music Theory, and as the Director of the Eastman Jazz Workshop Ensemble. His responsibilities encompass teaching, mentorship, and providing engaging learning experiences for his students.