Stephen Mosa’ati is a New Zealand born Tongan trumpeter who originally began on cornet at the Salvation Army in 2007. It wasn’t until he started high school in 2016 at Burnside High School that he began playing the trumpet, under the tuition of Thomas Eves.
Stephen has recently completed his Bachelor of Music in 2023 at the Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music (NZSM), where he learnt from Mark Carter.
Awards and Achievements that Stephen has obtained in the last couple of years include: 2019, 2020 “Best Trumpet” in the ARA Jazz Quest; 2020 NZCT Chamber Music Competition - Semi Final; 2020 NZSM Director’s Award; 2021, 2022 Dean’s list for Academic Excellence; 2021, 2022 Therle Drake Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Music; 2023 NZSM Concerto Competition Finalist; and third place in the NYPA Instrumental Competition. When competing in the New Zealand Brass Band Nationals Stephen not only won the A Grade national title with Wellington Brass (2021-2023) and B grade national title with Hutt City Brass (2023) but also received in 2021 Outstanding Soloist in B grade Test and 2021 + 2023 Outstanding Principal Cornet in the B grade Own Choice.
Whilst living in New Zealand, Stephen was part of the Royal New Zealand Air Force band and a casual musician for both the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Wellington. He has also performed several times with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Stephen loves to play all sorts of genres outside of orchestras and chamber music as he has performed with multiple big bands, funk bands, jazz combos and brass bands. Stephen loves to perform and will take any opportunity he can get. If Stephen is not found with his trumpet, he will either be at the gym or on the PlayStation.
In 2024, Stephen enters his first year of study at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) under the tutelage of both Yoram Levy and David Elton.
Photo by Pia Johnson