DeckerCharles

Charles Decker was the trumpet professor at Tennessee Tech University from 1981 to 2016. As a clinician, adjudicator, conductor, arranger and performer he appeared at major music conferences including International Trumpet Guild conferences and the National Trumpet Competition. His articles appeared in professional journals including the ITG Journal, Instrumentalist, NACWPI Journal and others. His brass publications have sold more than 5,000 copies and are performed by high school, university and professional musicians.

Decker appeared as a recitalist and soloist in addition to performing with numerous ensembles including the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Rochester Philharmonic, Colorado Philharmonic (forerunner of the National Repertoire Orchestra), Berkshire Music Center Orchestra, University of Texas Faculty Brass Quintet, Austin Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, the Bryan Symphony resident professional orchestra at Tennessee Tech University and was principal trumpet with the U.S. Army Field Band of Washington, D.C. With the Tennessee Tech University faculty Brass Arts Quintet he recorded six CD's for Mark Masters.

His undergraduate trumpet majors at Tennessee Tech University earned numerous ensemble and solo performance awards from the International Trumpet Guild and National Trumpet Competition.

Decker was a fellowship recipient to the Berkshire Music Center and earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Northwestern University, and the University of Texas where his teachers were respectively Sidney Mear, Vincent Cichowicz and Raymond Crisara.