He was a trombonist, conductor, author, teacher and mouthpiece and mute developer born in Great Britain who studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and after graduating started his professional career as second trombonist with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
In 1952 he would begin a five-year stint with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and would follow that in 1957 with taking the same position with the London Symphony Orchestra, where he would stay for the rest of his performing career until 1988 and achieve the longest principal seat in the orchestra’s history.
During his years with the LSO he could also be heard with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and the London Sinfonietta as well as performing as a soloist on works that were written for him by contemporary composers such as Alun Hoddinott, Buxton Orr and Gordon Jacob.
At the same time he took up an interest in conducting wind and brass groups, which included a youth symphony orchestra, and he established the London Wind Orchestra, with whom he made several recordings during the 1970s.
Appearing on many recordings he can be heard on Wind Music of Holst and Vaughan Williams with the London Wind Orchestra, Ulysses Kay: Markings – George Walker: Trombone Concerto and Berlioz: Requiem Op. 5 with the London Symphony Orchestra and Golden Brass and Baroque Brass with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble.
As an author he published Trombone Technique which is deemed one of the most important works of its kind and in the field of developing mouthpieces and mutes for brass instruments, he was in the business for over 25 years and worked with many acclaimed artists in brass music to produce the best quality material.
His work in the field of musical education saw him being made Professor of Trombone at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1967 and he would remain in that position until 1976 but continued as a consultant and conductor.
Very much involved in the International Trombone Association he was a recipient of the ITA Award in 1989, in 1990 was the Second Vice President in charge of international affairs, holding the position of Immediate Past President, and for three years between 1992 and 1995 was President of the British Trombone Society.
He died in February 2025 when he was 93 years old.
Sources:
- http://www.deniswick.com/about.cfm
- http://www.deniswick.net/pages/biography.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Wick
- http://www.amazon.com/Trombone-Technique-Dennis-Wick/dp/0193223783
- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B000001HMM/thehornplayersre
- http://abel.hive.no/trompet/pjbe/db/show.php?&id=18
- http://www.classicalcdreview.com/DDCD.html