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Denis WickDenis Wick was Britain's most influential orchestral trombonist in the middle of the 20th century. He is also an internationally respected brass teacher and designer of brass mutes and mouthpieces. On retirement in 1989 he was awarded the International Trombone Association's annual award and in 2004 becomes their president. He was born in 1932 in Chelmsford, England and taught himself trombone from the age of 10 when he received an instrument from the local Salvation Army band. He played with the band until the age of 15 and soon joined Luton Brass Band which was enjoying considerable national success at the time. He spent a year at the Royal Academy of Music, but claims he was frustrated with not learning anything there and left to join as 2nd trombone in the full-time professional group, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, at the age of 19. Two years later the conductor of the orchestra (Rudolf Schwarz) moved to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and brought Denis with him, appointing him as his new principal trombonist. In Birmingham in 1955 Denis worked with Gordon Jacob in premiering the famous trombone concerto. This piece shows off the advances in technique that he was making: the cadenza in the last movement makes great use of warm-up and flexibility studies that Denis had developed and would prove hugely influential in the teaching of brass players in Britain to this day. It is unclear when Denis moved the section from .485" bore Boosey Imperial tenor trombones and a 523" G bass trombone to the American "large bore" instruments (.547" tenor and slightly larger bass, now in Bb). Experimentation possibly started in Birmingham, and the Jacob Concerto suits the larger sound, but post-war import restrictions made these instruments impossible to obtain legally. Certainly he was a pioneer in Britain and soon all the other orchestral players followed suit. It was his position as principal trombone at the London Symphony Orchestra 1957-1989 that he is most revered for, especially as they made so many fine recordings. The brass playing in the Star Wars films has encouraged a whole generation of brass players, Denis making a blistering sound in partnership with another legend, Maurice Murphy, on 1st trumpet. Another recording where Denis made his mark is in the large solo in the 1970 LSO/Horenstein (Unicorn) recording of Mahler's Third Symphony. Denis taught initially at Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1967-1976) and since 2000 serves on the faculty at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Links: * Hugo Magliocco's perspective on Denis Wick
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