Jeremy Berkman earned a BA in Economics and a BMus from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music. After receiving his MMus from the Juilliard school, and working at the Aspen Music School for several summers, Mr. Berkman came to Canada to study at the Banff Centre, where he developed projects with dancers, actors, film-makers, as well as wonderful musicians. Now a Canadian citizen and BC resident for over twenty -five years, Jeremy has earned an acclaimed and varied career in musical performance and production. He is a Founding member and Director of Education for Vancouver’s award winning Turning Point Ensemble (TPE) chamber orchestra.

Currently also the Principal Trombonist with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, he makes music with outstanding colleagues in A Touch of Brass Quintet, cellist Peggy Lee’s octet (The Peggy Lee Band), and big bands led by John Korsrud (Hard Rubber Orchestra), Fred Stride, and Jill Townsend. He has contributed to over 30 commercially released recordings with artists ranging from free-improvisors to popular singers and songwriters such as Matthew Good and Michael Bublé, and also including five with the Peggy Lee Band (PLB) led by cellist Peggy Lee. With PLB he has toured nationally and internationally and been nominated for a Juno Award. He commissioned, recorded, and toured fellow TPE Co-Artistic Director Owen Underhill’s Trombone Quintet with Montreal’s Bozzini String Quartet, with the recording (Still Image) and composition nominated for the 2012 Western Canadian Music Awards.  His most recent passion is exploring the music of the 1500s and 1600s as a member of Cappella Borealis, a sackbut quartet with fellow UBC faculty member Alex Fisher, and UBC Alumni Ellen Marple and Nathan Wilkes. Jeremy is also now currently co-leading the newly founded Vancouver Brass Orchestra (VBO), a large ensemble comprised of brass and percussion players from Vancouver flourishing brass and percussion communities.

Jeremy was honored with Vancouver’s Mayor’s Arts Award (Music) for his leadership and contributions to Vancouver’s musical communities. Mr. Berkman is a sessional instructor of trombone and chamber music coach at UBC, and enjoys working with young musicians as they open the wonderful windows to the world that music offers. Jeremy lives in Vancouver with his wife Sheila and son Augwin.