When Hiram Rodriguez, B.Mus.’20, was recently appointed to the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, it marked the latest milestone in a career defined less by convention than by curiosity. A trombonist, composer, songwriter and artistic explorer, Rodriguez has built a professional life by embracing opportunities both inside and outside traditional classical music, a journey that began taking shape during his years at Vanderbilt Blair School of Music.
After graduating from Blair in 2020, Rodriguez continued his studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, earning an M.A. in 2022. He then established himself throughout Southern California’s vibrant music scene, performing with ensembles including the New West Symphony, Modesto Symphony and Bakersfield Symphony. Each position expanded his experience as an orchestral musician while allowing him to pursue a growing range of creative projects beyond the concert hall. Those experiences ultimately led to his recent appointment with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, one of the nation’s leading orchestras.
For Rodriguez, success in the arts has never meant following a predetermined roadmap. Instead, it has come from a willingness to pursue the projects that inspire him, even when they lead in unexpected directions.
“I’m just going to do what I want to do,” Rodriguez said. “I’m going to release music, I’m going to do stuff, and what people make of it, people make of it.”
That philosophy has shaped every stage of his career. Alongside his orchestral work, Rodriguez has continued writing original music, recording an upcoming album and performing projects that blend classical, jazz, rock and folk influences. His creative output reflects a musician who refuses to be confined to a single genre or artistic identity.
The roots of that independence can be traced back to Blair.
Rodriguez credits professor of trombone Jeremy Wilson as one of the most influential figures in his development. Their relationship extended far beyond lessons and technique.
“I don’t think there is another professor in trombone that I could have had that could have allowed me to do what I wanted to do and give me the resources to do it,” Rodriguez said. “I owe almost every part of my career right now to Jeremy.”
Rodriguez credits professor of trombone Jeremy Wilson as one of the most influential figures in his development. Their relationship extended far beyond lessons and technique.
“I don’t think there is another professor in trombone that I could have had that could have allowed me to do what I wanted to do and give me the resources to do it,” Rodriguez said. “I owe almost every part of my career right now to Jeremy.”
Wilson sees Rodriguez’s success as a reflection of the freedom he was given to explore a wide range of interests during his time at Blair.
“Hiram is a classic example of what can happen when students are encouraged to ‘follow their nose’ and are provided opportunities and resources to fully chase the things they’re interested in and care about,” Wilson said. “Vanderbilt tends to attract students who have a wide range of talents and skillsets. When we treat those as assets, not liabilities, students can flourish in a unique way.”
During his years at Blair, Rodriguez immersed himself in jazz studies, music composition, solo performance and orchestral repertoire, often pursuing several passions simultaneously.
“At various points in Hiram’s time at Blair, he was chasing hard after lots of different things: his study of jazz, music composition, solo performance, and yes, orchestral excerpts,” Wilson said. “If I had told him to ‘pick a lane’ too strictly or too often, I could have easily stifled the very things that made him the musician and person he is today.”
Rodriguez fronting his band during a recent performance in Los Angeles.At Blair, Rodriguez found an environment where experimentation was encouraged. One of his most memorable experiences involved performing “Tennessee Air,” a piece commissioned from fellow Blair alum Ila Maretsky. The work pushed beyond conventional concert expectations and created an intense connection between performer and audience.
“The piece was written for trombone and electronics,” Rodriguez recalled. “We dimmed the lights in the auditorium and allowed the audience to be entranced. There was this energy, some sort of understanding between myself and the audience that was almost primal or spiritual.”
Another defining moment came in 2019, when Rodriguez was selected as the Vanderbilt featured commencement soloist. Rather than choosing a traditional showcase piece, he performed Leonard Bernstein’s Elegy for Mippy II, an unconventional work for solo trombone. To realize the piece as intended, he played a bass drum with his heel while performing.
(Video: Hiram Rodriguez performs as the featured soloist at the 2019 Vanderbilt University Commencement.)
Looking back, Rodriguez sees that performance as emblematic of his artistic approach, which has helped him navigate the realities of a modern arts career. Today’s musicians are expected to be performers, entrepreneurs, marketers and content creators all at once. Rodriguez acknowledges that balancing those responsibilities can be challenging, particularly for artists who are more comfortable creating than self-promoting.
Yet he also sees tremendous opportunity in the contemporary landscape. Independent artists can release music on their own terms, explore multiple creative outlets and build careers that reflect their authentic interests.
For Rodriguez, that freedom has led to an ambitious songwriting project that runs parallel to his orchestral career. Over several years, he accumulated a catalog of original songs before deciding to record them. A debut album is now being readied for release this fall.
“I didn’t really want to put myself out there,” he said. “But I felt that the songs deserved to be heard”
What began as a simple folk album evolved into something much larger, incorporating strings, brass and influences from across Rodriguez’s musical life. The project mirrors the eclectic artistic identity he has cultivated since his student days, a musician equally comfortable performing symphonic repertoire, composing original music and leading a band.
His story offers an encouraging lesson for current students considering a life in the arts. Careers rarely unfold in a straight line. Rodriguez has moved fluidly between classical performance, commercial projects, songwriting and recording, discovering that creative flexibility can be a strength rather than a distraction.
That openness has helped him build a sustainable and fulfilling career, one that now includes a coveted position with the Pacific Symphony.
For Rodriguez, the appointment is not an endpoint but another chapter in an ongoing artistic journey. Whether performing orchestral repertoire, writing songs, fronting a folk-rock project or experimenting with new ideas, he continues to follow the same instinct that guided him at Blair: trust the music, stay curious and remain open to possibility.
In an arts world that often pressures musicians to choose a single lane, Rodriguez’s career stands as a reminder that success can come from embracing the full range of one’s creative passions.