The Denis Wick Biography

Having studied in London at the Royal Academy of Music, Denis Wick's first professional appointment was in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra as 2nd trombone. He became principal trombone of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 1952,leaving in 1957 to join the London Symphony Orchestra also as principal trombone, and remained there until his retirement in 1988.

The fortunes of the LSO were changing rapidly in 1957; the orchestra was just emerging from a long period when it had been an "also ran" on the London orchestral scene. There was a special kind of brilliance in the newly-awakened LSO, and with colleagues like Barry Tuckwell, Gervase de Peyer, Neville Marriner and Stuart Knussen, Denis Wick played a key role. During this period, which eventually became the longest tenure of a 1st chair in the history of the orchestra, he played under most of the world's greatest conductors and travelled extensively with the orchestra, which is said to have made more recordings than any other during this period.

Mr. Wick has been involved in music education for many years; having been appointed professor of trombone at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1967,he taught there regularly until 1976,continuing to work as a consultant professor and conductor since that time. Many of today's finest professionals studied with him; his intensely musical yet very practical approach to teaching is widely respected. His textbook "Trombone Technique" (OUP, 1971) is now in its 5th edition and is used worldwide as the most important publication of its kind, with translations into Japanese, German, Swedish and Italian.

Despite the demanding schedule of the LSO, he has also been a member of the London Sinfonietta and the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. Unusually, for a trombonist, he has made many appearances as a soloist and has had concertos written for him by several British composers- Gordon Jacob, Buxton Orr and Alun Hoddinott. His conducting work began at the Guildhall School in the 1960s and has, naturally been centred on brass and wind ensembles. It also included for many years an excellent youth symphony orchestra which has bred generations of professional players. His own London Wind Orchestra made prizewinning recordings in the 1970's which have set new standards of excellence for this kind of ensemble.

Denis Wick is probably best known, however, for his beautifully designed and constructed mouthpieces and mutes for brass instruments which are to be found in orchestras and bands all over the world and which continue to sell in ever-increasing numbers. 

In 1989 Denis Wick received the annual award of the International Trombone Association and in 1990 was elected 2nd Vice-President in charge of International affairs. He is now President.

From 1992 - 1995 he was president of the British Trombone Society.

Although now retired from professional trombone playing, Denis Wick continues to be in demand as a conductor and for master classes worldwide. He was appointed Professor of Trombone at the Royal Academy of Music, London in 2000 and awarded a fellowship in 2002.

Mr. Wick's recent enterprise is in publishing. His company, Denis Wick Publishing, is already enjoying considerable success, specialising in wind band and brass ensemble repertoire, using his own skills as well as those of some of today's finest composers and arrangers. His fine sheet music is available from this website.