Philip Smith (musician)


Philip Smith is an American classical trumpet player. He is former Principal Trumpet with the New York Philharmonic and played with the orchestra from 1978 to 2014. Smith, born in the United Kingdom, is from a Salvation Army background. He assumed the co-principal position in the New York Philharmonic in June 1978 and the principal position in 1988. He also is a supporter of brass bands, performing with various groups of distinction.
In 2013, Smith was announced as the William F. and Pamela P. Prokasy Professor of trumpet at the University of Georgia, where he will teach alongside Brandon Craswell. Before Smith, this position had been occupied by Fred Mills, former trumpeter with the Canadian Brass, and David Bilger, Principal Trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Education

Smith began cornet lessons at the age of 8 under his father, cornet virtuoso Derek Smith, who was a renowned cornet player in his own right. Smith entered the Juilliard School in 1970, where he was introduced to orchestral playing and studied under teachers Edward Treutel and William Vacchiano. While in his final year at Juilliard, Smith was accepted as Fourth Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti. For three years, Smith performed alongside Principal Trumpet Adolph Herseth.

Premieres

Smith has performed four premieres with the New York Philharmonic:
He has worked at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, and has many albums attributed to him, such as: