Douglas Wright

R. Douglas Wright has served as the principal trombonist of the Minnesota Orchestra since 1995. He received his training at the New England Conservatory under the guidance of his principal teacher, Norman Bolter. While still attending NEC, Mr. Wright began playing with the Boston Pops Orchestra, holding the position of 2nd trombone there for four years. In addition, he played frequently in the trombone section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Prior to his appointment with the Minnesota Orchestra, Mr. Wright was the trombonist of the Empire Brass Quintet, performing concerts and teaching master classes around the world. Mr. Wright has performed numerous times as a member of the World Orchestra for Peace, an orchestra comprised of musicians from over 70 orchestras located in over 40 different countries. Mr. Wright has recorded extensively in both orchestral and chamber music settings with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Boston Pops and Boston Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the Empire Brass Quintet. In a mild departure, he appeared with the rock group “Aerosmith” in an MTV video. Truer to form, he has performed as featured soloist with a number of orchestras, including numerous times with the Minnesota Orchestra. In 2001, Mr. Wright gave the world premiere of Mixed Feelings, a trombone concerto commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra and written expressly for him by Viennese composer, Kurt Schwertsik. More recently, he performed Kalevi Aho's Symphony no. 9 for Solo Trombone and Orchestra. In June of 2018, Mr. Wright and his Minnesota Orchestra low brass colleagues gave the world premiere of James Stephenson’s Pillars, a concerto for low brass and orchestra. A committed educator and Selmer clinician, Mr. Wright is a Lecturer of Trombone at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University and has performed solo recitals and taught master classes throughout the United States and abroad.