Altin Sencalar

Altin Sencalar is a California-born, Texas-raised, New York-based trombonist,

composer, and educator. A Yamaha Performing Artist and Posi-Tone Records

artist, Sencalar is both a commanding bandleader and a sought-after sideman.

His wide-ranging résumé includes performances with jazz luminaries such as

Dee Dee Bridgewater, Christian McBride, Rodney Whitaker, David Sanborn, and

Michael Bublé, as well as Motown legends the Temptations and the Four Tops.

Drawing on his Mexican and Turkish heritage, Sencalar infuses contemporary

jazz with folkloric traditions from both cultures. The result is a sound that is

deeply personal, sharply focused, and globally resonant.

The International Trombone Association Journal praised Sencalar for his

“brilliance in sound with crystal-clear articulations and impressive control of the

wide possibilities of the instrument.” All About Jazz described his tone as

“full-bodied, weighty, and expansive,” adding that “Sencalar’s improvisations are

rich in detail, balancing in-the-moment discoveries and adherence to the

demands of the material.” In a four-star review of his 2025 album Unleashed,

DownBeat’s Ted Panken called him “a crushingly strong player, whether gobbling

changes at high velocities or portraying emotional vulnerability.”

Born in 1994 in Fremont, California, and raised in Temple, Texas, Sencalar picked

up the trombone at age 11. He began his studies at Texas State University, where

he studied euphonium and trombone under Austin jazz stalwart Freddie

Mendoza. Though initially more focused on euphonium, a bootleg recording of

Maynard Ferguson sparked a turning point — at 16, he committed fully to

trombone. Early mentors included trombonist Elliott Mason and trumpeter

Marcus Printup.

In 2014, Sencalar transferred to the Butler School of Music at the University of

Texas at Austin, where he studied with Andre Hayward — lead trombonist with

the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He toured internationally as a soloist with the

University of Texas Jazz Orchestra, performing at the Montreux and North Sea

jazz festivals, and the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.

During his time in Austin, Sencalar became embedded in the city’s demanding gig

culture, performing as many as five nights a week. He led his own groups and

earned accolades in major competitions — including the American Trombone

Workshop, the National Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition, and the

International Jazz Trombone Competition.Later that year, he met acclaimed trombonist Michael Dease, who invited him to

audition for Michigan State University. Accepted into the program, Sencalar soon

became Dease’s teaching assistant — a pivotal step into the professional jazz

world. He went on to perform with Christian McBride’s big band and tour with

the official lineups of the Temptations and the Four Tops.

Sencalar released his debut, Introducing Altin Sencalar, in 2017. He followed with

Realization (2020), co-led with tubist Chris Glassman; Reconnected (2021), a

chordless trio session; and Live at Monks Jazz EP (2022), a self-released concert

document featuring trumpeter Dr. Adrian Ruiz, saxophonists Gene Centeno, Elias

Haslanger, and Eric Hargett, pianist Damian Garcia, bassist Daniel Foose, and

drummer Adam Jackson.

At a crossroads between accepting a tenure-track position in Texas or moving to

New York, Sencalar chose the latter. Within hours of signing his lease, he got the

call to tour with Michael Bublé — joining a horn section composed largely of

fellow Michigan State alumni. After seven months on the road, he signed with

Posi-Tone Records and released his label debut, In Good Standing (2023), featuring

saxophonist Diego Rivera, multi-reedist Patrick Cornelius, pianist Art Hirahara,

bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston.

Several of those players returned for his follow-up, Discover the Present (2024),

joined by trombonist Michael Dease, alto and soprano saxophonist Markus

Howell, trumpeter Anthony Hervey, bassist Raul Reyes Bueno, and percussionist

Pete Rodríguez. His DownBeat-hailed 2025 release, Unleashed, featured a fresh

cast: tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Greg Tardy, multi-reedist Bruce Williams,

vibraphonist Behn Gillece, Kozlov on bass, and E.J. Strickland on drums.

At the top of his thirties, Sencalar is now a new parent, a devoted dog lover, and

an artist driven by vision and conviction — constantly moving forward in music

and in life. “Consistency, awareness, and intention,” he says. “That’s what I live

my life by in everything that I do.”

Awards

2025 Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Trombonist