Alexander Iles is an American trombonist who teaches at the California Institute of the Arts, Azusa Pacific University, and California State University, Northridge. He has toured as lead and solo jazz trombonist with Maynard Ferguson, with whom he has recorded twice, and Woody Herman.
He began his musical career while a student at UCLA. He studied trombone privately with Roy Main, Ralph Sauer, Byron Peebles, and Per Brevig.
Iles has worked with Joe Cocker, Alan Jackson, The Tonight Show, Prince, Harry Connick Jr., the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Danny Elfman, Avenged Sevenfold, Ray Charles, Robbie Williams, Terence Blanchard, Hans Zimmer, Henry Mancini, James Horner, Lalo Schifrin, Trevor Rabin, and John Williams.
In the 2000s, he performed with the Tom Kubis Big Band, Bob Florence's Limited Edition] and Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. He has also recorded and performs with the Bill Cunliffe Sextet and the David Roitstein Group.
Iles has played in the pit orchestras of Broadway shows, including Chicago, The Lion King, The Producers, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Hairspray, and Wicked
He appears frequently as a recitalist, guest soloist, and clinician with schools and organizations, including Indiana University, Oklahoma State University, the Disney Magic Music Days Program and his "alma mater", the Disney All American College Band.
Iles has also performed on the Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, the People's Choice Awards and hundreds of television series and motion picture soundtracks including Polar Express, National Treasure, The Incredibles, Troy, Robots, The Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, Planet of the Apes, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Alias, Lost, JAG, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and Seinfeld.
In October 2002 he was appointed principal trombonist of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed as alto, tenor and/or bass trombonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Opera Pacifica, the Pacific Symphony, the Pasadena Symphony, and the Santa Barbara Symphony. Iles has also commissioned and premiered several new works for solo trombone.
Alex Iles is a Greenhoe Trombones Performing Artist, performing on a GB4-1G Tenor Trombone and GC5-1R-TIS Bass Trombone with Tuning-in-Slide.