Justin was born in New York City and picked up the tuba in fourth grade. After moving to Parkland, Florida, in seventh grade, he found his passion for marching band and fell in love with the power and presence of the contra. At Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, that passion ignited. Surrounded by a resilient community, Justin earned numerous accolades on and off the field. The experience fueled his drive—not just to play but to transform through music. What began as curiosity became a calling.

Justin’s orchestral journey began in earnest during his junior year of high school when he earned the Principal Tuba position with the Florida Youth Orchestra—a role he held through graduation. During that time, he traveled to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2018 and the Midwest Clinic in 2019, experiences that cemented his early promise as a rising artist. His story during these formative years was featured in the Winnipeg Jewish Post, highlighting a path marked by early discipline, depth, and determination. Even before leaving high school, Justin’s talents were recognized on a national scale. He was selected for the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and Curtis Summerfest, named a National YoungArts Winner, and chosen as a finalist in the New World Symphony Concerto Competition. Most notably, he was awarded the prestigious Kovner Fellowship from Juilliard—a distinction reserved for only the most exceptional young musicians.

Justin was awarded the President’s Music Scholarship to attend the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he studied under Dr. Aaron Tindall and earned a Bachelor of Music in Professional Studies, graduating with the class of 2024. While still an undergraduate, he had the distinct honor of performing under Gerard Schwarz with the Frost Symphony Orchestra, taking the stage multiple times in major works. Recognized not just for his artistry but also for his leadership potential, Justin became a proud member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. During his first year at Frost, he earned 3rd Prize in the Leonard Falcone International Tuba Artist Solo Competition and was invited to join the Chicago Civic Orchestra as an Associate Member—a rare distinction for a musician so early in his collegiate career. After spending a formative summer as an Orchestral Fellow at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, Justin won the Principal Tuba position with the New Mexico Philharmonic for their 2021–22 season, marking the first major orchestral appointment of his professional journey.

Following his debut orchestral season in New Mexico, Justin was invited to the Brevard Music Festival as an Orchestral Fellow, where he was named a finalist in the Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition. Soon after, he joined the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra as Principal Tuba for the remainder of their 2022 season. Before securing his second orchestral position with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Justin had the honor of performing with the Sarasota Orchestra and Sarasota Ballet, stepping in for his mentor in a series of performances that marked a turning point in his young career. That same season, he was named a Yamaha Young Performing Artist and earned a prestigious fellowship to the Aspen Music Festival, where he studied under legendary tubist Warren Deck. Most recently, Justin was hand-selected to become a Denis Wick Performing Artist beginning in 2024—joining a lineage of performers who shape the sound of brass at the highest level.

While living in Winnipeg, Justin proudly held membership with the Music Professionals of Manitoba, embracing both performance and mentorship. He maintained a vibrant presence, offering private lessons and leading masterclasses at Sistema Winnipeg, Camp Arnes, the Manitoba Band Association, and the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba. Through these efforts, he nurtured the next generation of musicians with the same curiosity and discipline that had fueled his own growth. Justin’s journey as a composer began at age eleven. What started as a personal outlet soon evolved into a professional calling, driven by a lifelong fascination with the expressive power of sound. His music continues to be deeply inspired by the works of Dmitri Shostakovich, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Béla Bartók, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss—composers whose emotional intensity, structural ingenuity, and thematic richness continuously shape his voice.

In spring 2023, Justin was awarded the Special Prize in the 2nd ISAC International Popular Music Composition Competition for his piece Bumbling Naivety. That June, he celebrated a milestone performance of Fanfare for the Winners, featured in the Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) 2023 weekend celebration. Later that fall, his orchestral work This Road Alone was selected for workshop and performance by the Pacific Chamber Orchestra as part of their Dream American 2023 program. Around the same time, his evocative piece Grand Beach was handpicked in a call for scores by the Untitled Ensemble for the 2024 Land of Lakes Showcase. Justin’s piece Clandestinity was among the selected winners in Fivemind Reed Quintet’s recording call for scores, joining his expanding catalog of collaborative achievements. That same year, he created two distinctive arrangements—Ballet Medley and John Powell’s How to Train Your Dragon—specially commissioned for the STAMPS Brass Quintet’s Spring 2024 Senior Recital. His mentor, Dr. Aaron Tindall, also commissioned Justin’s arrangements of Cinderella Suite and Swan Lake Suite for a collaborative project, further showcasing his versatility. In April 2024, his original work Beneath the Crypt premiered with the Frost Symphonic Winds, marking a poignant farewell just before his return home to graduate. That summer, Justin traveled to Spain for the València International Performing Arts Festival, where his work Goodnight Lenny received its world premiere by the València International Contemporary Ensemble.

Following his second season with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Justin deepened his commitment to composition—exploring it in every sense of the word. He also pursued a parallel passion for health and transformation, earning certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine in Corrective Exercise, Personal Training, Nutrition Coaching, and CPR/AED. Having once weighed over 400 pounds at the end of high school, these achievements represent more than credentials—they mark a personal victory once thought unreachable. Justin began working as a personal trainer in his hometown, tailoring programs to help clients align their goals with realistic, lasting progress while being a valued team member at his hometown music store. Alongside his work, he remains devoted to giving back—especially to organizations like Tomorrow’s Rainbow, which supports children navigating grief.

Moved by Justin’s journey, saxophonist Brian Kachur commissioned a new sonata for alto saxophone and piano. The resulting work, Echoes of a Distant Path, is a musical exploration of memory, decision, and transformation. Around the time of its premiere, during travels in Israel, Justin was named the 2025 Charles B. Olson Composition Contest winner for a deeply personal piece reflecting on his high school experience—the first winner in two years. That same season, Justin was selected as a Suncoast Composer Fellow for his first piano suite, 2 4 6. In the summer of 2025, Justin attended the Mostly Modern Music Festival, where he showcased his talents as both a performer and composer. His works Ink Still Wet, Taglit, and The Falls were featured, demonstrating his continued exploration of contemporary music. Following the festival in Saratoga Springs, Justin returned to a familiar stage at the Brevard Music Center. There, his compositions, including Coming Home, Font Del Maestro Serrano, and Les Fauves, were performed, reaffirming his connection to the center and his ongoing commitment to musical innovation.

For the 2025-2026 season, Justin returned to familiar stages as an Associate Member of both the Chicago Civic Orchestra and the New World Symphony. He also continues to surprise with innovation, launching a new line of Denis Wick Virtual Clinics on the Aaron Tindall mouthpiece line. Alongside these prestigious performance opportunities, he embarked on a new teaching path as a Composition Teaching Assistant at Florida State University, supported by a full ride. There, he began mentoring undergraduate composers, leading workshops, and refining his voice as both creator and educator. During his first semester, Justin released his debut album Slow Burn, a collection of original compositions, and was a winner in the school’s 2025 Ernst von Dohnányi Composition Competition for his sextet Esküszünk.

Justin Gruber