Jennifer Wharton: Visiting Professor of Trombone

Visiting Professor of Trombone, Penn State University

Jennifer Wharton is a low brass specialist based in New York City. Though getting her start classically, Jen has deep roots in jazz, commercial, chamber and Broadway music.

Jennifer leads the trombone-forward ensemble, Bonegasm, commissioning works from jazz heavyweights and newcomers. She was awarded a 2020 grant by the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theater to continue to bring trombone music to the masses. The result was Bonegasm’s sophomore album, Not A Novelty (2021), a follow up to their debut Bonegasm (2019). Downbeat Magazine called the most recent album “Trombone Ecstasy”. 

Jen is currently performing in Sweeney Todd on Broadway and has held positions on at West Side Story, King Kong, Beautiful, The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Jekyll and Hyde, Scandalous, Wonderland, 9 to 5 and Curtains, as well as performing as a substitute in many other Broadway productions. She has won the Radio City Christmas Spectacular bass trombone chair five times.

In addition to being an in-demand freelancer, Jennifer is an active studio musician. She can be heard streaming on shows like Mrs. Maisel, Schmigadoon, Vivo, and Jerry Seinfeld at The Beacon. Commercials include Booking.com, The Incredibles 2, The Greatest Showman and more. She has also been on over 40 big band recordings since 2009.

She is a member of three Grammy-nominated ensembles, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Alan Ferber Big Band and the Terraza Big Band. Jen also plays in the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra which won the 2023 Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble. She has performed on the Grammy-nominated cast albums for The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess, 9 to 5 The Musical and Curtains The Musical as well as the Grammy-winning recording of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical. 

Jen has performed, toured and/or recorded with groups including the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie All Star Band, Ken Peplowski Big Band, Miggy Augmented Jazz Orchestra, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Birdland Big Band, Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, Woody Herman Orchestra, John Yao and His 17 Piece Instrument, Generation Gap Big Band, Walking Distance, South Florida Jazz Orchestra, New Alchemy Jazz Orchestra, Steven Feifke Big Band, and the BMI Jazz Composers’ Workshop. 

Short Biography

Jennifer is an XO Professional Brass artist and plays their 1240-LT bass trombone. She teaches bass trombone at Rutgers University and Montclair State University in New Jersey and gives clinics and masterclasses regularly throughout the United States.

Jennifer Wharton is a low brass specialist based in New York City. Though getting her start classically, Jen has planted deep roots in jazz and commercial music. She can usually be found honking out low notes in a Broadway pit, a recording studio, on stage or in a big band section. Jen is a member of multiple Grammy-nominated jazz orchestras, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Alan Ferber Big Band and the Terraza Big Band. She has also performed or recorded with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie All Star Band, Woody Herman Orchestra, Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, Jihye Lee Jazz Orchestra, Big Heart Machine, lots of at-home virtual big bands, and with her favorite husband, trombonist/composer John Fedchock. Jennifer released her sophomore album with her band Bonegasm called Not A Novelty on Sunnyside Records in Spring 2021.