EUGENE BALL

Trumpet

As one of Australia’s most active and versatile trumpet players Eugene has performed extensively throughout Australia and the World with groups including the Hoodangers, the Andrea Keller Quartet, the Allan Browne Quintet, the Australian Art Orchestra, The Black Arm Band, the Bamboos, You am I, and Dan Sultan. 
Freelancing highlights include performances with Rickie Lee Jones, Joss Stone, Mavis Staples, Emmanuel Jal, Paul Dempsey, Sinead O’Connor, John Cale (Velvet Underground,) Jamie Cullum, Mike Nock, Tony Gould, Don Burrows and John Butler. 
Eugene is a prolific composer and arranger whose work has featured on countless recordings and television and film productions, including projects for Kate Ceberano, Eddie Perfect and Ali McGregor. He has received numerous commissions for compositions from schools, universities, chamber ensembles and orchestras. 
Eugene was awarded second place in the Wangarratta Jazz Awards in 2003, and was a finalist in the prestigious Freedman Jazz Fellowship in 2003 and 2006. He also holds a Masters Degree in Performance and Composition (Melbourne University) for which he was awarded a Melbourne Research Scholarship. 
In addition, Eugene is an experienced advocate of jazz and improvised musics. In 2003 he co-founded the Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival and the performance space/organisation, Lebowski’s. Eugene served as musical director of the Eltham Jazz Festival in 2009 and 2010, and accepted the position of co-artistic director of the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues in 2019. 
Eugene has also developed an acclaimed career in music education, and has taught the trumpet, improvisation and composition as well as directed award-winning ensembles at Eltham High School, Monash University, the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Polytechnic.