David Bilger

Biography

Hailed by the New York Times for his playing of “easy brilliance,” and by the Washington Post for his “engaging legato touch,” David Bilger is Professor of Trumpet at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. From 1995 to 2022, he held the position of principal trumpet of The Philadelphia Orchestra, having previously held the same position with the Dallas Symphony.

As a soloist, Bilger has appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Oakland Symphony, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York, and others. His solo appearances with The Philadelphia Orchestra include 2018 performances of Christian Lindberg’s Akbank Bunka, the Hummel Trumpet Concerto in E-flat in 2013, a 2008 United States premiere of Herbert Willi’s Eirene for trumpet and orchestra, as well as performances of Bloch’s Proclamation (2006), Copland’s Quiet City (2004), and Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-flat (2003). In 1998, he performed Tomasi’s Trumpet Concerto at Carnegie Hall and on tour in North and South America. Mr. Bilger has performed recitals in New York, Washington D.C., Cleveland, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and other major American cities.

For 27 years, Mr. Bilger was on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music. He is a former faculty member at Temple University, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia, Rice University, and held the position of Visiting Guest Artist at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. He has performed masterclasses at dozens of institutions, including The Juilliard School, Indiana University, University of Michigan, Manhattan School of Music, and the Peabody Conservatory. He is Senior Artistic Advisor at The Center for Advanced Musical Studies at Chosen Vale, and has mentored at the Pacific Music Festival, Equity Arc, National Orchestral Institute + Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Hamamatsu International Festival and Academy. He has coached NYO-USA and NYO2.

SPECIALTIES:

Orchestra repertoire
Audition preparation
Solo repertoire

LANGUAGES:

English