Sophie Manoloff (Broadway & Session Artist)
Sophie Manoloff is a New York City-based freelance trumpet player, who has quickly established herself with a dynamic and versatile career in the Broadway, touring, and commercial music scenes. Most recently, she has been performing eight shows a week in Gypsy on Broadway, playing in the 26-piece orchestra alongside the legendary Audra McDonald at the Majestic Theatre.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Sophie began studying trumpet at 10 years old and fell in love with its sound and versatility, playing in every possible band and ensemble both in and out of school. She toured Europe with the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony at age 15, singing and playing trumpet as a featured soloist. It was that tour - and an unforgettable concert playing the Cancer Blows benefit at Severance Hall with her hero, Ryan Anthony - that inspired her to pursue music professionally and audition for college scholarships on trumpet.
After moving to New York for college at 18, Sophie won first chair in NYU's blind seating audition across all undergraduate and graduate students, and successively won the Principal Trumpet position for all four years - reportedly the first to ever do so. While at NYU, Sophie studied with renowned teachers including Peter Bond (Metropolitan Opera), Kevin Cobb (American Brass Quintet), Ladislav Kozderka (Czech Philharmonic), and Wayne DuMaine (NYU). She graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance and was named a Featured Alumna in both 2023 and 2024 for her emerging success in the field.
Immediately after graduating, Sophie went on the road playing lead trumpet for the Broadway National Tours of Fiddler on the Roof and Peter Pan, playing over 600 shows in 130 cities across North America. In the New York Broadways scene, she has played Gypsy , the Ragtime 25th Anniversary Concert, Chicago, and The Music Man.
Sophie has performed on television in the Saturday Night Live house band, at the 2025 Tony Awards, in Harry Styles' "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" music video, and featured at the 2023 Grammy Awards. She loves performing on stage in horn sections for artists such as Ripe and other funk, jazz, rock, and pop bands. She has played notable venues including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, Preservation Hall in New Orleans, the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, and both the Nederlander and Cadillac Palace theatres in Chicago.
In addition to her performance work, Sophie maintains an active private teaching studio, is a recording artist for numerous Spotify singles, and previously served as assistant to the Director of Brass Studies and Broadway Orchestra program at NYU. She is deeply committed to mentorship and passionate about increasing female and queer representation in the brass world - where such visibility remains rare. As a proud queer female trumpet player, Sophie always strives to inspire and empower the next generation of musicians.
