Originally from Chicago, trumpeter, educator, and composer Elliot Bild got his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University where he studied with Scott Cowan, Andrew Rathbun and Edward Simon. Shortly after, he completed his Masters Degree from Temple University where he studied with Terell Stafford, John Swana and Dick Oatts. In August 2017, Elliot was selected along with 14 other fellows to participate in the Ravinia Steins Music Institute, a week-long workshop focusing on composition where he worked with Rufus Reid, Nathan Davis and Billy Childs. Later that summer, Elliot attended the Banff Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music, where he had the chance to work with Gary Bartz, Jeremy Pelt, Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Robin Eubanks and Tia Fuller, among others. In the Summer of 2018, Elliot was a sub trumpeter for the touring Big Apple Circus and became faculty of the Litchfield Jazz Camp. In April of 2019, Elliot was commissioned to write a big band piece for the Philadelphia Clef Club big band featuring Jaleel Shaw. Recently, he has performed with the great Philadelphia Bassist Mike Boone at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC as well as the 2019 Philadelphia Center City Jazz Festival, as part of his new working Quintet. He has also performed with such people as Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band, Don Braden, John Swana, Duane Eubanks, Tim Warfield Jr., Bill Jolly, Norman David and the Eleventet, Randy Brecker, Dave Ballou, Avery Sharpe, Mike DiRubbo, Zaccai and Luques Curtis, Behn Gillece, Conrad Herwig, Nestor Torres, and Pablo Batista. Elliot is currently one of the top freelance trumpeters of the Philadelphia area, performing at such venues as Chris’s Jazz Cafe, South Jazz Kitchen, Smalls Jazz Club, Time, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Fat Cat, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Litchfield Jazz Festival, among others. Recently, Elliot and John Swana released “Car Licks Volume 1”, the first in a series of transcription books. Elliot Bild & The Zone’s first record was released November 25th 2020, and received 4 1/2 stars from All About Jazz.  He currently teaches at The Philadelphia Orchestra School Ensemble Program, DeLuca Music, as well as The Gwynedd Mercy Academy.

“You have really good technique, a really good sound and good conception…and I’ve been around long enough to hear your jazz playing improve 1,000%! Well Done!”

– Randy Brecker

“I really, really appreciate your professionalism. And the way you stay engaged to the music and trying to create other than soloing.”

– Mike Boone