Kalia Vandever

Kalia Vandever is a trombonist and composer based in New York, known for a distinctive approach to the instrument built on a sonorous tone and lyrical, vocal-like phrasing. AllMusic has described them as a master musician and a singular talent. Their music ranges from modern jazz quartet writing to synthetic, ambient solo material, spread across albums including In Bloom (2019), Regrowth (New Amsterdam, 2022), the solo We Fell In Turn (AKP Records, 2023), and Another View (Northern Spy, 2025). A Juilliard graduate, Vandever tours internationally as a bandleader and works widely as a side-person, performing with artists such as Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Shabaka, Japanese Breakfast, and Moses Sumney. They are also a founding member of the Brooklyn-based collective tilt.