Axford

Kyle Axford is a Canadian trumpet player, composer, arranger, and educator based in Burnaby, British Columbia. He is a Band and Choir Director at Burnaby Mountain Secondary School and has been teaching music in public schools for over 17 years. As a versatile performer, Kyle has appeared with ensembles such as the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Cirque Música, Plastic Acid Orchestra, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, The Living Orchestra, and the Vancouver Trumpet Consort. He is also a core member of the Vancouver-based Celtic rock group The Whiskeydicks, performing across Canada and internationally.

In 2023, Kyle and The Whiskeydicks premiered a new original musical theatre production, The Trials and Tribulations of Whiskeydick, featuring an entirely new score and libretto written by Kyle Axford. The show explores the rich history of British Columbia, West Coast maritime life, and the Yukon Gold Rush through music and storytelling. Following its successful premiere, the production is currently being workshopped and rewritten for future performances.

As a composer and arranger, Kyle has created works for orchestral, wind, jazz, choral, and chamber ensembles. His recently published trumpet quartet, Music Box, reflects his deep connection to the instrument and its expressive range. The piece imagines a ballerina dancing within a music box, with opening and closing themes symbolizing the box’s lid and the moments of uncertainty between, expressed through shifting harmonies and chromatic colour. Music Box premiered in 2014 during an artist residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.  

Kyle holds degrees in Music Performance B.Mus (Brandon University), Education B.Ed (UBC), and a Master’s in Curriculum and Pedagogical Studies M.Ed (UBC).