DENIS WICK 1931 – 2025

DENIS WICK was a legend: he was the solo trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra (1957-1988), working closely with CLAUDIO ABBADO during his tenure as LSO Music Director, and previously he was a member of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Many of his performances and recordings under conductors CLAUDIO ABBADO, SIR COLIN DAVIS, ANTAL DORATI, JASCHA HORENSTEIN, ISTVAN KERTESZ, ANDRÉ PREVIN, SIR GEORG SOLTI, LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI and others are legendary, including the first recording of John Williams’ “Star Wars” in 1978 under the direction of the composer. He taught at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (1967-1989) and then at the Royal Academy of Music from 2000.

Denis Wick was president of the International Trombone Association from 2004-2006, and he was also a successful businessman creating his own line of mouthpieces and mutes for brass instruments.

Upon personal invitation by GMJO Founder and Music Director CLAUDIO ABBADO, Denis Wick became tutor and jury member for the trombone and tuba section of the GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER in 1993, and he worked with generations of GMJO musicians until 2013; many of them are holding important positions at orchestras and music conservatories today.

In 2013, Denis Wick passed on this duty to his student and successor as solo trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra (from 1988).

We should therefore like to share this personal statement by IAN BOUSFIELD with you:

“He was my hero, my mentor, my role model as a teacher, a player, an artist and a businessman. In other words, everything I am. He was without question the founding father of modern trombone playing in Europe. Where he went we have followed and I have learned more from him probably even than I realise. It will always be one of the greatest honors of my life that I have been given the chance to try to fill his shoes at the GMJO. An impossible task but I hope that through me and all of our wonderful young players his philosophy will live on.”

Our condolences are with his son Stephen and with his family. Rest in peace, dear Denis.