Gerald “Chipi” Chacón: Internationally Recognized Venezuelan Trumpeter

We continue to highlight great professionals who use MG Leather Work products in their daily practice and creative lifestyle. This time we want to tell you a bit about Gerald "Chipi" Chacon, a talented, internationally recognized trumpeter from Venezuela. 

Early Years and First Achievements

Gerald has a strong musical background, as he was raised in a family of musicians in Caracas. He first became involved in music at the age of five and two years later he began studying the trumpet with a conductor, musician, and pedagogue Rubén Capriles at La Rinconada, Caracas. At the age of eight, Gerald studied trumpet under Maestro Walter Pino and became a member of the Youth Orchestra of La Rinconada under the direction of Eliécer Sánchez. After he moved to the Youth Orchestra of Chacao in 1998, he continued mastering his instrument with José Rodríguez, a conductor, arranger, and orchestra leader. 

Further Career and Collaboration 

The year 1999 was a very productive period for Gerald. First, he became a member of the Children's Orchestra of Caracas where he performed as a soloist in Antonio Vivaldi’s "Concerto for Two Trumpets". Second, he joined the National Children's Orchestra of Venezuela. This provided him with an opportunity for extensive touring across the world. The musician visited many countries including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Austria, and the USA. In addition to performances, Gerald also took part in workshops held by Venezuelan and international artists. He learned from Randy Brecker, Gabor Tarkovi, and Wynton Marsalis.

In 2003, Chacon became the principal trumpet of the Youth Orchestra of Caracas. Some time later, he also joined the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra. During this time he performed under renowned conductors such as Simon Rattle and Claudio Abbado. These were great steps forward in his career that opened opportunities for touring across more than 50 countries. He performed in Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, and South America. After leaving the orchestra, Gerald focused on his own career, improving his skills as a solo artist and singer-songwriter.

Together with the Venezuela Trumpet Quartet, Gerald attended many well-known festivals including the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He also recorded the album "Manteca" with this quartet. 

As a member of the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble, Gerald frequently performed concerts around the world and released a DVD with EuroArts and a CD with EMI Classics.

Chacon was known as the only Latin American member of the European Brass Ensemble, when he took part in the recording of the album "In Residence" in 2016, which was nominated for the International Classical Music Award 2017.

Jazz Music 

Gerald had a classical trumpet education but that didn’t prevent him from making his name in the world of jazz. From the early years, the musician participated in national and international festivals and learned from the greatest  jazz artists, including James Morrison, Bob Mintzer, Pablo Gil, Gerry Weil, Gerardo Chacón, Carlos “Nené”, Porfi Jiménez, Nicholas Folmer, Pedro Eustache, Víctor Cuica, Luis Perdomo, and Andrés Briceño.

Soloist Career

As a soloist, the musician released several albums: "My Favorite Standards" (2013), "Melodies For The Soul" (2015),  "Transparente” (2017). These masterpieces were heartily welcomed by the listeners and critics. With the album  "Melodies For The Soul" Gerald earned six nominations at the Venezuelan Music Pepsi Award and became a winner of three of them.

Chacon also led the "Charangoza All Star," a group featuring both Latin American and Afro-Cuban musicians. He participated in the "Schagerl Artists," a group sponsored by the Austrian metal instrument brand. There, he was the youngest and the first Latin American musician. 

Gerald "Chipi" Chacon and MG Leather Work 

We are proud to have this great musician among owners of MG Leather Work leather accessories. Gerald uses several products designed by our team — a single trumpet gig bag, a triple trumpet gig bag, and a trumpet holder for seven mouthpieces.

Final Thought 

Gerald "Chipi" Chacon, mostly known as a member of the European Brass Ensemble and  "Schagerl Artists” group, is an extremely versatile musician. His evolution as an artist is obvious: with a classical musical education he made a successful career as a trumpeter in orchestras, a jazz musician, and a soloist. Gerald has a great ability to interpret various musical styles, consistently expanding the boundaries. 

We wish Gerald continued success in his musical career and further artistic growth.

If you’re not only interested in trumpet music, but also play this instrument, check out our trumpet leather accessories & gig bags.