Brian French
Principal Trombone
Brian French is the principal trombonist of the Winston-Salem Symphony and has performed as soloist numerous times, most recently with his section colleagues in Jennifer Higdon’s Low Brass Concerto and in a “pandemic era” performance of Beethoven’s Drei Equali. He is also the principal trombonist of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and previously held principal positions in the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago—the training program of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Brian has performed regionally with many orchestras, including those of Asheville, Charlotte, and Roanoke, the North Carolina Symphony, and the North Carolina Opera as guest trombonist, tenor tubist, and bass trumpeter.
His summer festival experience includes the Bravo! Festival in Vail, Colorado, the Eastern Music Festival in his hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina and the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan.
He received both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Northwestern University and counts Frank Crisafulli, Jay Friedman, and Arthur Linsner among his primary teachers. Brian has served on the music faculties of Wake Forest University and Davidson College.
Joined with the WSS
2000
Hometown
Greensboro, NC
Education
Northwestern University, MMus
Northwestern University, BMus
Website & Social
brianfren.ch/music
Five Questions with Brian
Why did you choose the trombone?
I didn’t, actually! I wanted to play the trumpet, but as a rising seventh-grader, my 12-year-old teeth were all over the place. My father (who was a middle-school band director here in Winston-Salem for many years) knew better and brought home a trombone. The mouthpiece was much more comfortable, and I was able to make a confident sound. It was something I found success with early on, and here I am!
Who are your musical heroes?
My teachers in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, by far. My main teacher, Frank Crisafulli, was a member of the orchestra from 1938-1989. And my secondary teacher, Jay Friedman—with whom I even had Zoom lessons during the pandemic—just retired from the Chicago Symphony after a 62-year tenure. Incredible. My other main heroes are the Swedish trombone soloist Christian Lindberg, jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, and Berlin Philharmonic bass trombonist Stefan Schulz. Oh!—and Sting.
Tell us a little about your personal instrument—who made it, when, why did you choose it?
I have played instruments by the Vincent Bach company for decades. They’re one of the gold-standard bearers for professional trombones and trumpets, and their instruments are a sound I identify with far more than other makers. My alto trombone, however, is a German instrument by a builder who is no longer in business—but I’ve heard their tooling was recently bought by a Dutch company, so if anything ever happens to my alto, I’ll be able to get a copy!
What do you like to do when you’re not on stage with the Symphony?
I like to pretend that I’m a cyclist, but the truth is I don’t ride that much anymore. My main thing these days is drawing obscure musical instruments. I have a little Instagram account for them, @the_instrumentareum.
What are your go-to places in Winston-Salem? Favorite restaurants, bars, parks, attractions?
Haha, well over the past quarter-century of playing in the orchestra, I think I’ve been to the Whole Foods on Miller St. as often as the Stevens Center or Reynolds, just to grab a quick bite before rehearsal! And I do like the Bluebird biscuit at Krankie’s. If my wife and I want to make a date of it, we’ll go to Mozelle’s, Incendiary Brewing and Cugino Forno in Bailey Park, or Wise Man Brewing.
Watch Brian’s episode of Just In Case from August, 2025.