Trumpet

Riley Helgeson is a freelance trumpet player and composer based in the Twin Cities. Riley has toured North America and Europe with Sonny Knight and the Lakers, Friendly Fires (UK), and his own project, McNasty Brass Band, which has also performed on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” His performances have been broadcast on MPR, The Current, and The Lowertown Line on PBS.Riley is an active member of Twin Cities Jazz Composers’ Workshop and plays lead trumpet for Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra. He has had the honor to perform with PJ Morton of Maroon 5, Stokely of Mint Condition, and Fred Wesley and John “Jabo” Starks of the James Brown Band. Other notable performances include shows at the Ordway, the Fitzgerald Theater, the Armory, First Avenue, the Fonda Theater, the Fillmore, and at jazz festivals around the world. Riley serves on the jazz faculty of Shell Lake Arts Center and maintains a private trumpet studio. He holds a bachelor’s in trumpet performance from University of Minnesota.