Who is Mitch Cuss?

Trumpeter, composer and educator, Mitch Cuss graduated from Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland with an Honors degree in jazz trumpet performance and composition. He was a member of WIT’s ‘New Music Big Band’ under the direction of composer, trombonist and educator Paul Frost. Mitch studied ‘Composition’ under Dr. Eric Sweeney & Dr. Marian Ingoldsby and ‘Arranging & Orchestration’ under Dr. David Rhodes, ‘Jazz Theory’ and ‘Improvisational Skills’ under Phil Collins, and ‘History & Pedagogy’ under Dr. Hazel Farrell and was recently nominated for WIT’s prestigious Bridget Doolan award.

Mitch, his wife & 2 daughters currently reside in County Waterford && Mitch performs regularly with Brass & Co., Opus Pocus Big Band, Savoy Swing Orchestra, his own quintet and smaller ensembles including ‘Les Deux’ where he appears alongside jazz pianist Patrick O’Connor.

Why is Mitch a Phaeton Artist?

He freelances as a composer and performer and in addition to composing for big band & orchestra, Mitch also writes & arranges for brass sections, brass quintet and fanfare team settings.

Mitch is a highly experienced trumpet player in studio, live broadcast and TV show work with experience both on stage and in the orchestra pit. Over the past 25 years as a professional player he has worked with various TV, radio and live West End productions including Starlight Express and South Pacific as well as recording for films. He has played alongside many personalities such as Lulu, Freddie Starr, The Three Degrees, Joe Dolan, Sharon Shannon, The Corrs and Brendan Bowyer.

Mitch Cuss’ Trumpet:

“I play a Phaeton FX1100 trumpet. This is the big boy of the Phaeton range. Its antique brush brass finish, body braces and HEX shape heavy weight caps and finger buttons give it a distinctive look that turns heads while the large 128mm bell and ML bore provide a rich, powerful sound that is usually synonymous with heavier instruments. The 3 custom bracing sets, machined from Stainless Steel, Bronze and Brass, allow for a personalized set-up and can change the sound from a dark, jazzy set up to a bright, lead instrument in minutes.”

“The Phaeton FX1100 has a big, dark sound; capable of tremendous volume and extreme subtlety as well. Blow it hard and the sound just gets bigger and bigger, never really introducing much cut. It just gets louder and louder. There is no shut off point either. It will just keep increasing in volume until you physically can’t give it any more air, but it also has a softer side”

Mitch’s Current Credits:

Having travelled extensively, he has performed at most major venues throughout the world from The Royal Albert Hall to the Sydney Opera House. He has performed with the London Concert Chorus and the London Concert Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestras, and even the US Navy 7th Fleet Big Band and ‘The President’s Own’ US Marine Corps Big Band.

He has built his reputation as a big band player has toured the UK, USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan & Korea as well as the Persian Gulf. He specializes in big band, a genre in which he enjoys the challenge of extreme high register playing as Lead Trumpet. Influences include Maynard Ferguson, James Morrison, Chet Baker, Clark Terry and Clifford Brown, Tower of Power and Blood Sweat & Tears.

Mitch plays his PHT-FX IIOO Exclusively at all venues/events and can be contacted at: http://mitchcuss.musicaneo.com/