Atlanta Symphony Orchestra welcomes five new musicians for 2026/27 season

The appointments include Elmer Churampi as principal trumpet and Craig Mulcahy as principal trombone, alongside new members of the bassoon, cello and trombone sections.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has welcomed five new musicians for its 2026/27 season, including two appointments to principal brass positions.

Elmer Churampi has joined the orchestra as principal trumpet and Craig Mulcahy as principal trombone. Sam Blair has been appointed second bassoon, Gabriella McClellan joins the cello section, and Chance Gompert has taken up the position of bass trombone.

“We are delighted to welcome these new members to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,” Executive Director Jennifer Barlament said in announcing the appointments. She added that the new musicians would join their colleagues in helping “define the sound of Atlanta” and expand the orchestra’s impact in the community.

Two new principal brass players

Born in Lima, Peru, Churampi began playing trumpet at the age of four with his father, a trumpet player, and joined Peru’s National Youth Orchestra at seven. He entered the National Conservatory of Music of Peru at ten and later studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy before completing his bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance at the New England Conservatory.

Churampi has performed with ensembles including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops and Canadian Brass. In 2017, he appeared as soloist with the Boston Philharmonic during its South American tour.

Mulcahy arrives in Atlanta after a long tenure with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., which he joined as second trombone in 2005 before becoming principal trombone. He previously served as principal trombone of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra from 1999 to 2005 and has also held positions with the Buffalo Philharmonic and Tulsa Philharmonic.

He has appeared as guest principal trombone with orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Houston Symphony.

Three further additions

Second bassoon Sam Blair previously performed with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and was a frequent substitute with the National Symphony Orchestra, including two one-year contracts from 2022 to 2024. A former fellow of the New World Symphony, he studied at Southern Methodist University and the Yale School of Music.

Cellist Gabriella McClellan joins the ASO following her studies at the University of Georgia. Her recent distinctions include winning the 2025 Colorado College Summer Music Festival Concerto Competition and first prize in the Atlanta Music Club Scholarship Competition.

Bass trombonist Chance Gompert returns to the Atlanta Symphony after previously serving as its acting bass trombonist during the 2023/24 season. He spent the following two seasons as bass trombonist of the Nashville Symphony and has also performed with ensembles including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

The five musicians are now listed as members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for the 2026/27 season.