Born in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Jackson Howard begins as the Bass Trombonist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in September of 2026. Jackson has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in recent years as a bass trombonist. Just as at home on tenor trombone, Jackson has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as Guest Principal, and with the Nashville Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and National Arts Centre (Canada) Orchestra as a substitute.
Jackson is also an active soloist, having been a prize winner in the Jeju International Brass Competition in 2025. He has performed concertos with the Jeju Philharmonic, the PRISMA Festival Orchestra, and the Fraser Valley Symphony among others. He has been involved with the creation of new works for trombone with composers such as Kevin Lao, Sterling Maffee, and Isaac Creager, as well as leading a consortium with Brooklyn Wood.
Jackson holds a Bachelor's degree from the Glenn Gould School and a Master's degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, with his primary teachers including Gordon Wolfe, Matthew Vaughn, Nitzan Haroz, Gordon Cherry, and Brian Wendel. Jackson has spent his summers as a student at the Pacific Music Festival, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, and at the PRISMA Festival.