Natalia Vela is an active freelance performer and teacher residing in East Lansing, Michigan. 

She has performed as a substitute with the Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestras and was recently awarded a trial as principal trumpet with the A2SO. In addition, she was a recent fellow at the Festival Hill Institute at Round Top, where she was chosen by audition to perform and study with professional trumpet players in the field. An accomplished performer, she was awarded 2nd place in the Military Excerpts Division and was a semi-finalist in the Graduate Solo Division of the 2025 National Trumpet Contest. 

While studying music education as an undergraduate at Texas State University, Natalia discovered her passion for genres outside western classical, performing Mariachi and Jazz both as a freelancer and with the university ensembles. 

Currently, she is the adjunct instructor of trumpet at Alma College as well as a graduate teaching assistant at Michigan State University, studying with Justin Emerich while pursuing her Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in Trumpet Performance.

In her free time, she enjoys playing guitar, cooking, and is an avid fan of Dungeons and Dragons.