SPOKANE, Wash. — After more than five decades of musical excellence, Larry Jess will perform his final concert as the Spokane Symphony’s principal trumpet player this weekend at the Fox Theater.
Jess has held the principal trumpet chair for 50 years and performed with the Symphony for 55 year’s total, making him one of the longest-serving musicians in the orchestra’s history. His retirement marks the end of an era for the organization and the Spokane music community.
“It’s time to move on,” Jess said, describing his decision as bittersweet. “Best orchestra I’ve ever played in. Right now. People need to know that.”
While Spokane audiences may not recognize Jess by name, they’ve likely heard his trumpet soaring above the orchestra in countless performances at venues throughout the region, from the Fox Theater to Comstock Park.
The instrument chose him early in life, Jess recalled. “The trumpet picked me,” he said. “I got a trumpet and my folks saw I was serious about it, I guess, and bought me a new trumpet. So, the rest is history, I guess.”
That history includes not just his Symphony career, but a diverse musical life that reflects the reality many professional musicians face. “A lot of people need 2 or 3 jobs to live here and make it,” Jess explained. “Teaching in various colleges, my own private studio, and freelancing, playing church gigs. Whatever comes along.”
Beyond performing, Jess and his wife have built reputations as influential music educators, inspiring generations of young musicians. Some students describe the couple as their “chosen family,” testament to their impact beyond the classroom.
“All of his stories about his musicianship and just this crazy life he has lived always ties back into how he can encourage others,” said Grace Rowe of the Spokane Symphony Chorale.
James Lowe, music director of the Spokane Symphony, emphasized how Jess’s mentorship extends the orchestra’s influence. “This transfer of knowledge from generation to generation keeps that kind of spark of the orchestra alive,” Lowe said.
For Jess, teaching provides rewards that even decades of professional performance can’t match. “When you see the light bulb go off over the head of a young kid, there’s nothing like that,” he said.
Even in retirement from the Symphony, Jess plans to continue teaching, ensuring his musical legacy will resonate through future generations of musicians.
His home reflects his dedication to the craft — while most people have living rooms and kitchens, Jess has a trumpet room.
The weekend concert represents both an ending and a celebration of a remarkable career that has helped define the Spokane Symphony’s sound for more than half a century.
Tickets for the Spokane Symphony concert are available here.
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