Known for his warm sound strongly rooted in the jazz tradition, Alan Blanchard is a rising trumpeter in today’s jazz scene. Growing up in Sanford, Florida Alan found himself involved in a rich music education from a young age. At 16, while attending a performance by Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Alan knew he wanted to be a musician. Shortly after, Alan attended Florida State University studying under the tutelage of Scotty Barnhart and Leon Anderson while working towards his Bachelor of the Arts in Jazz Studies.  After graduating in 2017, Alan accepted a teaching assistantship and continued at Florida State University working towards a Master of Music in Jazz that he would receive in 2019.  

In 2018, Alan was selected as a member for the return of the highly regarded Jazz Aspen Snowmass Big Band Academy under the direction of Christian McBride. The following summer he was awarded a full fellowship to study composition and improvisation with Rufus Reid, Billy Childs, and Steve Wilson as a part of the renowned Jazz Program at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute.

When not teaching or performing, Alan serves as the Director of Operations at Outside in Music, a jazz record label, based out of New York, NY. Brought on in 2016 by close mentor Nick Finzer, Blanchard assists in helping artists’ musical visions reach their audiences as he works closely with them constructing marketing plans and audience development. Each year, he oversees the production from start to finish of over 30 albums on at Outside in Music and its four imprints (Outside in Music, NextLevel, Outside in Arts and Outside in Selects).

From a young age, giving back through education has always been a huge importance for Alan; “This music has always had a strong sense of mentorship and I’ve been fortunate for those that have taken the time to help me and encourage me. Keeping on with that spirit, I aim to do the same for the next generations.” Often giving masterclasses at local schools and camps, Alan began refining his teaching skills while at Florida State. In 2018, Alan was selected as the Middle School Clinician for the Florida Big Bend All District Band, an honor not usually awarded to such a young educator. In 2019, along with mentor Nick Finzer, Alan presented Create, Connect, Repeat: Taking Advantage of the Modern Music Marketplace as a Jazz Artist at the College of Music Society’s GenNext at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Conference in Anaheim, California.

Alan is an artist for XO Brass and plays an XO 1602 Trumpet.