January Staff Spotlight: Louie Eckhardt

Congratulations, Louie!

Louie currently serves as Program Director at Kids’ Orchestra and previously taught trumpet to students in the program.

Dr. Louie Eckhardt is a freelance trumpet player in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas, specializing in orchestral music, chamber music, and early music. He currently serves as a member of the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, and the Chimes Street Brass Quintet. He also appears regularly with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Dr. Eckhardt has held principal trumpet positions in the Kearney Symphony Orchestra, Hastings Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the Nebraska Trumpet Ensemble. He was first trumpet and manager of the Cathedral Brass Quintet, greater Nebraska’s premier brass ensemble. He has also performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Brass Quintet, Nittany Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Altoona Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Eckhardt has performed with the Victoria Bach Festival in Victoria, TX, and the Vail International Dance Festival in Vail, CO. He has been a guest of the Fundación Sinfonía Concertante de Panamá, presenting masterclasses at the Universidad de Panamá, the Instituto Nacional de Música de Panamá, and the Casa de Cultura de Panamá. In addition, he is an active recitalist and is in frequent demand as a performer and clinician throughout Nebraska, Texas, Louisiana, and beyond.

As a Baroque trumpeter, Dr. Eckhardt has performed with La Follia Austin Baroque, the American Bach Soloists, and Bach Society Houston.

Dr. Eckhardt holds a B.M. in Music Education and Trumpet Performance from Hastings College, an M.M. in Trumpet Performance from The Pennsylvania State University, and recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Trumpet Performance at Louisiana State University. He has studied trumpet with Daniel Schmidt, Langston J. Fitzgerald, III, and Brian Shaw. He has also studied with Denny Schneider, Keith Benjamin, Terry Sawchuk, Charles Lirette, and Vance Woolf.

 

We asked Louie to answer a few questions:

How did you first learn about Kids’ Orchestra?

I first learned about Kids’ Orchestra shortly after I moved to Baton Rouge. Some of my colleagues at LSU were teaching for it, and when they told me about it, I was really impressed at the mission, and success that the organization had already enjoyed.

What is your favorite part about working for Kids’ Orchestra?

I love working with the teachers, and providing all the logistical support they need to create an amazing experience for their students.

Are you messy or organized?

I’m pretty organized. Almost TOO organized…I use spreadsheets for pretty much everything in my life. I also spend lots of time trying to figure out how I can become MORE organized.

Where is your home town?

I’m from the bustling metropolis of Hastings, Nebraska. It’s actually kind of an amazing place… it was the birthplace of Kool-Aid, was Yahoo!’s “Greenest City in America” in 2007. It’s a vibrant community with a private 4 year college, and a thriving arts presence.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you?

Will Sasso. No joke. Go do a Google image search.