Darren Sterud

Trombone | Madison, WI

Darren Sterud is from Madison, Wisconsin and is an active freelance trombonist, band leader and clinician in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. Darren studied Jazz and Trombone Performance with Grammy Nominated trombonist Steve Wiest and Trombone Performance with Dr. Michael Dugan at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Through his career Darren has toured nationally and internationally with the UWW Jazz Symposium, Mama Digdown's Brass Band, The Jimmys and Davina And The Vagabonds. A student of New Orleans music Darren has traveled to New Orleans over a dozen times and has played at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals in the city, including: Preservation Hall, Jazz and Heritage Fest, French Quarter Fest, The Palm Court, Snug Harbor, Donna's Bar and Grill and The Blue Nile. He has his own 18 piece jazz orchestra and is the Musical Director of the salsa group Colon Y Mas.

As an educator, Darren was the assistant marching band director and jazz ensemble coordinator at LaFollette High School in Madison for 17 years and was the Senior Instructor of Jazz Trombone at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Darren has cliniced and judged at several regional Essentially Ellington Festivals and worked with repeat finalists Sun Prairie High School and Beloit Memorial High School over the last 10 years. Darren has had the honor of sharing the stage and performing with: The BB King All Stars, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Trombone Shorty, John Allred, Tom Garling, Wayne Bergeron among many others. This past year Darren had the opportunity to perform with the broadway tour of Hadestown and continues to travel the state and country playing New Orleans music, Jazz and Salsa.

Darren has been recognized as a 6 time Trombonist of the Year for the Madison Music Awards, Latin Music Musician of The Year and a Madison Music Hall Of Fame Inductee.