Ray Larsen is a trumpeter,

composer & improviser

working in jazz,

improvised, chamber

and American

music.

r4-ray-larsen-2265-cropped-donal-lakatua-copy-17781714503182.jpg

13251453185175-songs-to-fill-the-air-banner-16794218781286.jpg

" ...a sunbeam of warm melodies... a world that's altogether his own "

Dave Sumner, Bandcamp

" luminous orchestrations and lyrical tone ”

Ron Schepper, Textura

“ gorgeously lyrical … an utterly distinctive musical voice ”

Andrew Luthringer, Earshot Jazz

" among my all-time favorite trumpet players "

Wayne Horvitz

Trumpeter and composer Ray Larsen is noted for his spirited sound, which critics have called “life-enhancing” (Seattle Times) and “truly original” (All About Jazz). He works in jazz, improvised, chamber, and other styles of American music.

Ray has released seven albums of his work across a wide range of settings. His collection Songs To Fill The Air (Slow & Steady Records) introduced his highly-orchestrated approach to songcraft and earned a place in Bandcamp’s Best Jazz Albums of 2020 for its “view into possible futures”. In 2021, he began releasing Air in America, an ongoing album-by-installments built from collaged audio recordings drawn from the digital archives of the U.S. Library of Congress. His most recent project, Brooklyn-based chamber quartet Wish, premiered at the 2023 Festival of New Trumpet Music and features a growing body of contrapuntal work written for Sara Schoenbeck, Ryan El Solh and Andy Clausen. Their first album recording is slated for release in 2026.

Ray’s other work includes several long-form pieces for large chamber ensembles (New Studies Of The Starry Skies, How Glass Is Made, 3 Poems By Emily Dickinson, When Mountains Blow) and a treasury of music for trumpet trio Tyrant Lizard, free jazz collectives The Sky Is A Suitcase and Figurine, duo project Josh & Ray (with accordionist Josh Hou), chamber sextet Reasons Why, and various other groups.

Ray is a mainstay in the projects of new music luminary Wayne Horvitz, including Music for 10 Musicians, Electric Circus, The Royal Room Collective, the Wayne Horvitz Ensemble, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Side Pocket, Motel 7, the What’s Going On? Festival, and others. He has also worked with Ted Poor, Steve Rodby, James Falzone, Devin Gray, The Westerlies, Haley Heynderickx, Naomi Moon Siegel, Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder, The Harry James Orchestra and Fred Radke, The Dip, Jamie Cullum, Jacob Zimmerman, and the NY Afro Bop Alliance.

His work has been recognized with Earshot Golden Ear Awards for NW Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year (2025), Emerging Artist of the Year (2015), and NW Recording of the Year (with Chemical Clock, 2014), as well as a Bloedel Reserve Artist Residency.

Ray studied with trumpeters Allen Vizzutti and Cuong Vu. He holds degrees in music (MM, BM) and conservation biology (BS) from the University of Washington, where he co-founded the Improvised Music Project and IMPfest. He has taught clinics in schools across the country, built the Meridian School’s beginning band program with Emilia Kister, and taught 4th and 5th grade music for five years. He is now an adjunct professor at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University where he teaches courses in music theory, ensembles, and trumpet performance. He also books and manages a twice-weekly music series at Oxbow.

Ray is a triplet, a fifth-generation Seattle-ite, and a Thane Trumpets performing artist.