About Me

Molly Collins has established herself as a versatile musician, excelling in both classical and jazz genres. She continues her studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) as a Graduate Assistant in Trumpet Performance after earning dual degrees in Music Education and Trumpet Performance from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.

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As a classical musician, Collins has performed with the Carolina Philharmonic, North Carolina Brass Band, Orchestra of Northern New York (ONNY), and Northern Symphonic Winds. At UNCG, she serves as principal trumpet of the Wind Ensemble and is a member of the UNCG Trumpet Ensemble. During her time at Crane, she held principal positions with both the Crane Symphony Orchestra and Crane Wind Ensemble. Additionally, she was a member of the Frackenpohl Honors Brass Quintet, a scholarship ensemble that represents Crane through community outreach and high-level collaborations. Collins’s achievements include performances at the Crane 2025 Honors Recital, the 47th International Trumpet Guild Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the 2025 International Women’s Brass Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, and the 50th International Trumpet Guild Conference in Rochester, New York. In recognition of her trumpet performance, she was awarded the prestigious International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Conference Scholarship in both 2025 and 2026.

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Collins is also an accomplished jazz musician. At Crane, she played lead trumpet with both the Jazz Ensemble (2022–2026) and Latin Ensemble (2023–2026). She was also selected for the Giroux Honors Jazz Combo, a scholarship quintet that serves as an ambassador for the school through performances at official functions and community events. For five years, she was a section player in the Joey Stempien Big Band, an emerging force in the Upstate New York jazz scene. Collins has also performed with El Nuevo Tumbao, as well as the Illharmonic Orchestra, a hip-hop orchestra that combines live orchestral music with hip-hop, bringing together classical and contemporary musical traditions through performances featuring orchestral arrangements and hip-hop artists. She also leads her own group, the Molly Collins Quartet (MCQ), which has performed at various Rochester venues.

Beyond performance, Collins is deeply committed to music education, leadership, and advocacy. She served as Collegiate Vice President of the New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA) and President of the Crane Student Association during the 2024–2025 academic year. Since 2025, she has served as Events Coordinator on the International Trumpet Guild Emerging Professionals (ITGEP) Board and has contributed as a Conference Writer for the 2025 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the 2026 conference in Rochester, New York.

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As an educator, Collins maintains an active private trumpet studio, serves as a counselor at Crane Youth Music Camp each summer, and has served as a trumpet instructor at the UNCG Summer Music Institute, the largest youth music camp in the country. Her dedication to advocacy and mentorship is reflected in her selection as an International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC) Mentee for both 2025 and 2026, where she continues to cultivate her passion for equity, inclusion, and the advancement of women in the brass community.

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Collins is a S.E. Shires Rising Artist and performs on a TRQ13S S.E. Shires trumpet.