Haidar “Hamed" Barbarji (he/him) is a freelance trumpeter and educator based in Chicago,
IL. Hailed for his versatility as a multi-faceted musician, Hamed has
found success in the classical, commercial, and jazz idioms. He has
performed with professional orchestras such as the South Bend Symphony
Orchestra, Chicago Composers Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra and
Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, soloed with ensembles such as the
DePaul University Wind Ensemble, the Virginia Commonwealth University
Symphony Orchestra, the Universidad de Cartagena Symphony Orchestra, and
the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra, and has toured with
nationally-acclaimed bands such as the No BS! Brass Band, In Layman
Terms, and the Kat Wright band. As an educator, Hamed has given
orchestral trumpet sectionals, jazz improvisation masterclasses, and
coached ensembles such as the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Brass
Quintet and the Virginia Commonwealth University Brass Quintet.
In
2024, Hamed was appointed as a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of
Chicago, the nation's premier training program for young professional
musicians. He continues to play with his Chicago-based jazz combo “In
Due Time" and works as a freelance musician, playing and recording with
groups such as: Broadway In Chicago, Gaudete Brass Quintet, DJ Fleg and
the East Coast Affair, the R4ND4ZZO Big Band, Pay Rent Brass Band, the
Virginia Repertory Theatre, and more.
Hamed Barbarji currently attends DePaul University as a Master of Music student under the
tutelage of Stephen Burns and Esteban Batallan. A graduate of Virginia
Commonwealth University, Hamed's former teachers include Rex Richardson,
Brian Strawley, Samuel Huss, Taylor Barnett, David Vonderheide, and
Paul Bhasin. For his 2019 fall semester, Hamed attended the Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland, where he studied with Principal Trumpet of
the BBC Scottish Orchestra, Mark O'Keeffe. Hamed is currently a trumpet
instructor at the Merit School of Music and the DePaul Community Music
Division.