Blackburn, Roger

He is a trumpet player born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, who studied in Kentucky at the Asbury College followed by the Westminster Choir College and then graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music. Following that he was a trumpet student at Vienna’s Academy for Music and Art in Austria after he had been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1969.

He was the Co-acting Principal Trumpet of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Principal Trumpet of the Israel Philharmonic before taking the position of Associate Principal Trumpet of the Houston Symphony.

In 1974 he became a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra and served 37 years with them until his retirement in 2011. During his years with the orchestra he was also the founder of the barbershop/brass quartet Philharmonic Flavor, with the musicians being members of the orchestra, along with the male gospel vocal quartet 4 His Glory.

He has also performed as a soloist and/or ensemble member with the Amerita Chamber Payers, Glencairn Horns, Mozart Society and the Philadelphia Chamber Players.

Recordings he has performed on include his own Barbershopping in Brass along with Gabrieli for Brass by the Canadian Brass and Peter Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique”/Dumka by The Philadelphia Orchestra.

In the field of musical education he has been on the faculty of the University of Florida, been a lecturer at Temple University and holds many master classes along with giving private lessons.

His daughter, Martha, is an assistant in the Development Department of the Cincinnati Symphony.

Sources:

Blackburn, Roger

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