Artist Statement
Music and the arts are all deeply within us. The stories we create through each note are all personal and unique to us, and no two people will interpret a song the same way. To me, the most beautiful thing about music is the depth of emotion we can feel from one song or even just a few notes. Music tells stories, recalls memories lost, and develops us as kind and loving people.
Music allows us to find our inner stories, feel our inner emotions, and share parts of us with the world that are hard to communicate in words.
Through my performances, compositions, and teaching, I aim to connect people through stories and inspire people to share their own. Whether unique or universal, everyone’s story deserves to be told.
About Izzi
Izzi Guzman is a dynamic trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator sharing joy, creativity, and authenticity through music. Based in Miami, FL, she strives to bring stories to life through her art and foster accessible and creativity-rooted music education for the next generation.
Praised for her vibrant sound and technical prowess, Izzi has performed with renowned groups including the John Daversa Big Band, Frost Jazz Orchestra, and Florida Wind Symphony Jazz Orchestra. She has collaborated and shared the stage with jazz legends such as John Daversa, Jazzmeia Horn, Brian Lynch, Danilo Pérez, Etienne Charles, Christian McBride, Marcus Strickland, and Jaleel Shaw, cementing her place in the jazz world. She is the bass trombonist for the Miami Pixel Symphony and regularly performs across Miami in various ensembles and genres.
Izzi was a featured performer at the 2025 South Beach Jazz Festival, where she was a 2024 scholarship recipient, and the 2019 Newport Jazz Festival with the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Summer Workshop. In 2025, Izzi was selected among college students across the United States to participate in the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy, directed by Christian McBride and Chuck Bergeron. At the Academy, she played lead trombone in the JAS Academy Big Band and was a founding member of a jazz octet, Moose on the Loose. In 2024, Izzi was a part of the Kenny Wheeler Legacy Project with the Frost Jazz Orchestra and Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra, recording Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores at Abbey Road Studios with John Daversa, Nick Smart, Shelly Berg, Evan Parker and Norma Winstone. Izzi’s versatility as a performer is matched by her ability to bring her own voice to each musical setting, unbound by genre.
Izzi’s compositions and arrangements weave together personal stories and a love for diverse genres, creating a distinctive, multi-dimensional sound. Her works have been performed across the United States, and one of her compositions, 99 Percent, is published on Brava Jazz Publishing. Izzi’s composition A Warm Welcome can be heard in Historic Landmarks of Miami: Live at Gusman Concert Hall 2024, where Izzi paid tribute to Miami’s vibrant culture with a multi-genre musical piece that exemplifies her unique approach to storytelling through music. Her latest album, Celebration, includes several compositions and arrangements for small ensemble and big band that explore themes and stories of growing up and self-acceptance. She currently studies jazz composition with Stephen Guerra and is a writer for the Frost School of Music’s Henry Mancini Institute.
Izzi graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music in 2022 and University of Miami in 2024 and 2025. She is an outreach teaching assistant for the Donna E. Shalala MusicReach Program, which provides free music education to students from underserved communities. She continues to teach privately and through the Frost Preparatory Program and Frost Summer Experience.
Beyond the stage, Izzi manages social media for the Frost Studio Music & Jazz Department, Miami Jam Sessions, Frost Preparatory Program, and John Daversa. She worked closely with the Frost School of Music marketing team as a member of the inaugural Frost Social Media Creators Collective. She continues to collaborate with Frost faculty and marketing team staff as a photographer for the Frost School. She is also an avid graphic designer and visual artist, having a passion for art since her childhood.
With a mission of connecting listeners together though music, Izzi continues to make her mark in the music world and radiate positivity in every performance she gives.
Izzi at the Frost School of Music booth at the 2025 Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference
Izzi at the Vortex Jazz Club in London, UK
Izzi with the Jogo Entertainment band
Izzi receiving the Frost School of Music Outstanding Senior in Music Education and Overall Outstanding Senior Award
Izzi with the Frost School of Music Jazz Trombone Studio
Izzi performing at the 2025 South Beach Jazz Festival
Izzi with legendary studio musician Jay Daversa
Izzi performing on bass trombone with the Frost Jazz Orchestra
Izzi with the composers of "Themes of Revolution: Live at Gusman Concert Hall 2025"
Izzi with her JAS Academy combo "Moose on the Loose"
Headshots for Download
