Born in Birmingham, Alabama, trumpet player Gary Cordell has been on the Las Vegas music scene for over 30 years. Arriving in Las Vegas in 1985, he received his education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While at UNLV, he studied trumpet with Walter Blanton and Tom Gause. He is a former member of The Nevada Symphony, The Nevada Chamber Orchestra, The Nevada Opera Theater, The New World Brass Quintet and the Las Vegas Brass Quintet.  He is a current member of the Boulevard Brass and the Desert Arts Brass Quintet.

 

He has been a member of many of the Las Vegas Strip Orchestras including Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers, Sinatra – Dance With Me, Spamalot, Legends in Concert, The Golden Nugget Orchestra, The Guardian Angel Cathedral, and Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular. He has performed with many top headliners including Billy Joel, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Seth MacFarland. Barbara Streisand, Sarah MacLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Heart, Josh Groban, Tears for Fears, Metallica, Scorpions, Lynyrd Skynyrd, David Foster, Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Andrea Bocelli, Gloria Estefan, Robin Thicke, Seal, Chaka Khan, Graham Nash, The Turtles, Kenny Rogers, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Frankie Valli, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The O’Jays and many others.

 

He was a founding member of the popular Las Vegas-based salsa bands Tropical Splash and Latin Breeze. Also a member of the Nevada Jazz Orchestra, The Las Vegas Jazz Connection and the Lena Prima Orchestra.

 

He was recently selected as the principal trumpet player for the First National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies that recently concluded a fifteen month North American tour.

 

Gary has taught trumpet as adjunct faculty at University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada as well as having his own private teaching studio in Las Vegas. He is a founding member of T.A.P.P.S. (Trumpeters Allied to Perform Patriotic Services) and J.O.I. (Jazz Outreach Initiative) and is the Program Director and Music Supervisor for the Music Is Love Concert Series at Opportunity Village in Las Vegas. He was the founding Program Director for JAZZ@NSA, the jazz program for the Nevada School of the Arts in Las Vegas. He has served on the Musician’s Union Local 369 Board as a Trustee and currently serves as its Vice President and Symphonic Representative.

 

Gary, along with his wife professional violinist Lauren Cordell, is the owner of Boulevard Entertainment, a full service music contracting company that books musicians for events in Las Vegas and offers music arranging, orchestration, copying, editing and librarian services. In this capacity Gary has served as Musical Production for Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers, Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra-Dance With Me (Las Vegas), David Foster and Friends, Sinatra 100: An AllStar Grammy Concert, Andre Agassi Foundation Fundraiser, The Calgary Stampede, Michael Buble Christmas Specials, Jan Arden Christmas Special, The Pan Arab Games, Anne of Green Gables National Tour and many others. Gary currently serves as the Vice President for the Jazz Outreach Initiative.