Josh Plotner
- Music Department
- Actor
Josh Plotner is a New York-based saxophonist, woodwind multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and international recording artist. He regularly records for film, television, video games, and albums, as well as playing and subbing on Broadway. Highlights include Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maizel, Madam Secretary, Red Dead Redemption II, music for "Star Wars': Galaxy's Edge" at Disneyland/Disney World, collaboration with Meghan Trainor while she was at No. 1 on the charts, and many others.
At the beginning of his career, Josh focused mostly on jazz and classical music. Soon he picked up flute and clarinet, trying to treat each instrument as his primary focus. By his senior year in high school, he was playing in two orchestras, a nationally competitive classical saxophone quartet, three big bands, two jazz small groups, a symphonic band, a woodwind sextet, and many musical pit orchestras in addition to his lessons. This foundation allowed Josh to become extremely versatile at a high level starting from a young age.
After high school, feeling the need to specialize, Josh decided to focus solely on jazz, but that didn't last for long. In college, Josh discovered not only did he have a passion for the many kinds of music that he played; he also had a passion for learning languages (including French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Mandarin, and Japanese). Once he arrived at Berklee College of Music, he found himself at the most international school in America, and was highly influenced by the friends he made there. In only three years he graduated from Berklee, Magna Cum Laude, with a double major in Performance and Jazz Composition.
At the beginning of his career, Josh focused mostly on jazz and classical music. Soon he picked up flute and clarinet, trying to treat each instrument as his primary focus. By his senior year in high school, he was playing in two orchestras, a nationally competitive classical saxophone quartet, three big bands, two jazz small groups, a symphonic band, a woodwind sextet, and many musical pit orchestras in addition to his lessons. This foundation allowed Josh to become extremely versatile at a high level starting from a young age.
After high school, feeling the need to specialize, Josh decided to focus solely on jazz, but that didn't last for long. In college, Josh discovered not only did he have a passion for the many kinds of music that he played; he also had a passion for learning languages (including French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Mandarin, and Japanese). Once he arrived at Berklee College of Music, he found himself at the most international school in America, and was highly influenced by the friends he made there. In only three years he graduated from Berklee, Magna Cum Laude, with a double major in Performance and Jazz Composition.
