Jazz trumpeter and composer John D'earth was born in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1950.  He studied, as a teenager, with saxophonist Boots Mussulli (Stan Kenton, Charlie Ventura, Teddy Wilson,) with John Coffey (principal trombonist BSO) and arranging with Thad Jones.  He attended Harvard University and, later, moved to New York City where he studied with Carmine Caruso, Vince Penzarella and Richie Beirach.

D'earth has performed and recorded internationally appearing on over seventy CDs/LPs.   He has performed and recorded with Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Tito Puente, Bruce Hornsby, Emily Remler, Bennie Wallace, Eddie Gomez, The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Bob Moses, Pat Metheny, Joe Henderson, Clark Terry, John Scofield and John Abercrombie,  among many others.  He has composed and arranged music for Bruce Hornsby, The Dave Matthews Band and Symphony Orchestras in  San Diego, Atlanta, Richmond, and Roanoke.

Among his original works are the five-movement Natural Bridge, commissioned by the Kandinsky Trio, and Suite Rakalam, commissioned by the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival.  He composed a two hour score for five musicians and thirteen instruments,  to be performed, live, with Mernau's 1926 silent film masterpiece, Faustus.  Through an NEA American Masterworks Grant and a Carpenter Grant,  the Kandinsky Trio released a  recording of  Natural Bridge and Silent Faustus in 2013 on the Omnitone label.

As the Director of Jazz Performance at the University of Virginia Mr. D'earth teaches improvisation, jazz trumpet and directs the UVA Jazz Ensemble.  He has been serving at Virginia Commonwealth University as Artist-in-Residence for the past two years. D'earth's career is documented in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, (Oxford Press).

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