Anthony Branker

[11] Branker leads three jazz bands: Imagine, Word Play and Ascent, which have featured Fabian Almazan, Ralph Bowen, David Binney, Adam Cruz, Kenny Davis, Tia Fuller, Mark Gross, Antonio Hart, Conrad Herwig, Jonny King, Ralph Peterson Jr., and Steve Wilson.

He has shared the stage with Marcus Belgrave, Terence Blanchard, T. K. Blue, Gary Burton, Benny Carter, Michael Cochrane, Ted Curson, Guilherme Franco, Eddie Henderson, Billy Higgins, John Hicks, Stanley Jordan, Roscoe Mitchell, Steve Nelson, Big John Patton, Ralph Peterson Jr., James Weidman, and the R&B group Tavares.

His music has been performed or recorded by Kenny Barron, Alex Blake, Cecil Brooks III, Benny Carter, Sarah Jane Cion, Orrin Evans, Joe Ford, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Winard Harper, Eddie Henderson, John Hicks, Stanley Jordan, Talib Kibwe, Victor Lewis, Curtis Lundy, Steve Nelson, Valery Ponomarev, and the Princeton University Orchestra In 1999, medical problems from two brain aneurysms and the discovery of an arteriovenous malformation led him to yield his trumpet playing and forced him to take a leave of absence from teaching.

[12] As a conductor, Branker has worked with Ralph Bowen, Don Braden, Bryan Carrott, Benny Carter, Ted Curson, Orrin Evans, Jon Faddis, Frank Foster, Guilherme Franco, Mark Gross, Slide Hampton, Antonio Hart, Jimmy Heath, Conrad Herwig, Patience Higgins, Stanley Jordan, Oliver Lake, Rick Margitza, Bob Mintzer, Michael Philip Mossman, Steve Nelson, Ralph Peterson Jr., Valery Ponomarev, Benny Powell, Jeffery Smith, Jacky Terrasson, Clark Terry, Bobby Watson, Phil Woods.

He has also led the Princeton University Orchestra in the world premiere of his composition "Ballad for Trayvon Martin" for Orchestra and Jazz Quartet featuring tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen, as well as in world premieres of two dance works choreographed to the orchestral music of Claude Debussy's "La Boite a Joujoux (The Toy Box)" – including the U.S.

Branker has also conducted Princeton's Orchestra in performances of Ellington's extended orchestral compositions "A Tone Parallel to Harlem" and "New World A Comin'."

In addition, he has conducted "The Sacred Concert Music of Duke Ellington" with the Hunter College (CUNY) Jazz Repertory Orchestra as well as with the Princeton University Chapel Choir, Glee Club and Gospel Ensemble, and has conducted the Ellington/Strayhorn collaborative adaptations of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" and Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suites Nos.

Branker has conducted several world premieres of commissioned works for big band, that have included Michael Philip Mossman's "John Coltrane Suite"; Bob Mintzer's "March Majestic"; Jimmy Heath's "For the Love Of"; Ralph Bowen's "Little Miss B"; Conrad Herwig's "Reflections of a Man Facing South"; Randy Bauer's "Wide-Eyed Wonder"; and Laurie Altman's "In Another Time" for orchestra, big band and vocal ensemble.

Branker was named to the College Music Society's Advisory Council on Improvisation and has served as program scholar for Looking At: Jazz, America's Art Form, a six-part documentary film viewing and discussion series at the Princeton Public Library.