Louis Hanzlik

Professor of Trumpet, Department Head

Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University
M.M., The Juilliard School
B.M., University of Iowa

Louis Hanzlik is an internationally recognized, GRAMMY Award-winning trumpeter, chamber musician, and educator. A member of the renowned Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and former member of the American Brass Quintet, Hanzlik has performed throughout Asia, Australia, North America, South America, and Europe. 

A dedicated educator, Dr. Louis Hanzlik is Professor of Trumpet and Department Head of Music at the University of Connecticut, and from 2013 to 2023 served on the trumpet and chamber music faculties of The Juilliard School and the Aspen Music Festival & School. His scholarly research, culminating in a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, explores how chamber music education extends beyond musicianship, cultivating collaborative leadership, respect, critical thinking, inclusivity, and democratic engagement. These principles are at the core of his teaching, shaping both his classroom approach and broader institutional initiatives. 

At UConn, Hanzlik’s philosophy comes to life through multiple avenues beyond his work coaching chamber music ensembles. He has delivered guest lectures for UConn’s School of Civil Engineering on creativity and imagination, facilitated discussions on the topic of collaborative leadership to UConn’s Leadership Legacy program, and has led a UConn Honors Program Seminar Democratic Leadership through the Arts (The Orpheus Experience). Across these platforms, he creates meaningful opportunities for students to engage with one another as artists, creative thinkers, and engaged citizens. 

A trumpeter of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for nearly two decades, Hanzlik also contributes to the shaping of the ensemble’s creative vision through his role as Artistic Director of Programming. In 2019, Orpheus won their third GRAMMY Award for their collaboration with the Wayne Shorter Quartet on Emanon. Under his artistic leadership, current and future seasons bring Orpheus to Carnegie Hall, 92NY, two tours of Japan, a European tour, and performances across the U.S., along with the continued evolution of Club Orpheus, an initiative reimagining chamber music in intimate, unexpected venues like Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Brewery. 

Beyond Orpheus, Hanzlik frequently performs with the world’s premier chamber ensembles, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. His extensive recording credits span Naxos, Blue Note, Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, and more, and his performances have been featured on Live from Lincoln Center, NPR’s Performance Today, CBS Sunday Morning, and NBC’s Sunday Night Football. 

Hanzlik’s performance of Shostakovich’s Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Trumpet alongside pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Orpheus at Carnegie Hall earned high praise from critics. The New York Times highlighted his “crisp, focused playing” and noted that his “muted, gently chromatic solo in the Lento movement made a strong case for equal billing.” The Washington Post similarly lauded his artistry, stating that Hanzlik “gave an appropriately rollicking performance” and that it was he who, “relishing in high Shostakovich sarcasm, easily stole the show.” 

Born in Nebraska and raised in Iowa, Hanzlik earned his B.M. from the University of Iowa, M.M. from The Juilliard School, and Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University. He now resides in Storrs, CT, with his wife, Amanda, and their two children, Ethan and Grace.