BIO: Ray Vasquez is currently the Professor of Trumpet at Auburn University and is an active member of the International Trumpet Guild.

His involvement with the ITG has led him to serve as Chair of two Jazz Solo Competitions (2002 in Manchester, England, and 2010 in Sydney, Australia), the 2009 Composition Contest in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as well as performing at the 2008 Bill Chase Tribute Concert at the ITG Conference at the Banff Center for the Arts in Banff, Canada, and the 2009 University Professors Spotlight Concert.

Alongside these opportunities he has also presented a clinic at the 2005 ITG Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand on "The Benefits of Drum Corps on Trumpet Playing."

His drum corps experience includes marching three seasons and aging out with the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps (1991-93) as well as teaching for eight seasons with various corps from all classifications within the activity. These include Phantom Regiment(1995), Blue Stars (2002-03), Minnesota Brass Inc. (2003-present), Spirit Drum & Bugle Corps (2006, 2008, and 2009), and the Santa Clara Vanguard (2007).

His involvement within music education can be seen with the clinics he has presented to the Music Educators Associations of Minnesota and Alabama, and numerous colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

As a performer, Ray has performed with Claudio Roditti, Shirley Jones, Barry Manilow, Arturo Sandoval, Chaka Khan, Sheena Easton, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Jiggs Whigham, Ernie Watts, Dennis DiBlasio, Phil Woods, and Peter Erskine.

Ray has earned degrees from Northwestern State University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Minnesota. His primary teachers include Galindo Rodriguez, Leonard Candelaria, Keith Johnson, David Baldwin, and Manny Laureano.

Ray is an artist/clinician for Edwards Trumpets, King Ultimate Marching Brass and uses Karl Hammond Design mouthpieces exclusively.