The Philadelphia Orchestra has announced the appointment of James Vaughen as its new Principal Trumpet (Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest Chair). He will officially join the orchestra in 2026, at a date yet to be determined.
Currently Principal Trumpet of the Minnesota Orchestra, Vaughen studied at the Curtis Institute of Music under David Bilger, who held the Philadelphia chair for more than two decades. His background also includes positions with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra in Chicago.
An active soloist and chamber musician, Vaughen won First Prize and the Audience Award at the 2023 Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments and appeared the following year as soloist with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. He has also received major prizes at international competitions including the Maurice André, Ellsworth Smith, Roger Voisin Memorial, and Ryan Anthony Memorial competitions.
Vaughen has performed with ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Brass, and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and participated in training programs including the Pacific Music Festival Academy and Tanglewood Music Center. Between 2015 and 2017, he toured internationally with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra, returning for its all-star concerts in 2024 and 2025.
Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin welcomed the appointment, noting Vaughen’s connection to the “Philadelphia Sound” through his Curtis training.
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