Biography
James Wilt joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Associate Principal Trumpet in 2003, following 14 years in the same position with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He has also held positions with the New York Philharmonic, Denver Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic and Dayton Philharmonic.
Jim is trumpet professor at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. He previously taught at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, California State University-Long Beach and the University of Northern Colorado, and has served of the faculties of the Aspen Music Festival, Domaine Forget, and the National Orchestral Institute. As both a longtime performer and dedicated teacher, Wilt helps students build the preparation, consistency, and confidence needed for high-level playing. More than 40 of his students now hold permanent positions in professional orchestras and military bands.
Wilt’s career has included principal and guest appearances with major orchestras in the U. S. and abroad, including the Symphonica Toscanini under Lorin Maazel, Super World Orchestra at the Tokyo Music Festival, and the New York and Philadelphia orchestras. He has also appeared as a soloist with the Houston Symphony. That experience gives students insight into orchestra playing, audition expectations, and the preparation required at the highest level.
As a member of the LA Phil, Jim has performed on 10 Grammy-winning recordings. He was also co-principal trumpet with Wynton Marsalis’ acclaimed Carnival album. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way to stay engaged with the trumpet, Wilt created “From the Safety of My Practice Room,” a YouTube series of more than 365 consecutive daily videos exploring etude repertoire. The series offers students a direct look at how he practices, solves musical and technical problems, and sustains the habits of a professional career (while the intros highlight his quirky humor).
James Wilt is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
SPECIALTIES:
Audition preparation
Performance mindset
Orchestral and standard solo repertoire
LANGUAGES:
English
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