Don Lucas

Don Lucas, international trombone soloist, orchestral/chamber musician and teacher, originally from Falls Church, Virginia, U.S.A. was educated as a Fulbright Scholar to London’s Guildhall School of Music (“Premiere Prix” and Advanced Solo Studies Diplomas), Texas Tech University (M.M. & B.M.), North Texas State University, The University of Houston (DMA work) and The Berklee College of Music, MA. Principal teachers include; Denis Wick, Robert Deahl, Al Lube, Carsten Svanberg, Phil Wilson, Michel Becquet, Allen Barnhill, John Marcellus, Phil Wilson, Leon Brown and Dave Maser. Major Musical influences also include Robert Boudreau and Joe Alessi.

Mr. Lucas has performed regularly with The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (3 seasons), Santa Fe Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, the American Classic Trombone Quartet (founder) and also with The Empire Brass, Minnesota Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, ME, North Carolina Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, New England Brass Band & others.

Internationally, Mr. Lucas has appeared frequently as a soloist, recitalist, adjudicator and clinician in engagements in the United Kingdom, Russia, Korea and China including: Wigmore Hall (London), The British Trombone Society Festivals The Repton Brass Festival, The Royal Northern College of Music and Cheathams School of Music (Manchester), The Royal Academy of Music (London), The Guildhall School of Music (London), Trinity-Laban Conservatory of Music (London), The Royal Welsh Academy of Music (Cardiff), The Royal Scottish Academy of Music (Glasgow). The Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Moscow), The Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory (St. Petersburg), The Fine Arts Institute (Vladivostok), the JeJu International Music Festival, Korea Trombone Festival, Yonsei University, Seoul & Four South Korean Summer Trombone Festivals, Central Music Conservatory and China Conservatory, Beijing, Shanghai Conservatory, Shenyang Conservatory, Xinghai Conservatory, Guangzhou and the Hong Kong Academy of the Arts.

Other international engagements include: Showa College of Music, Kunitachi College of Music and Senzoku College of Music, Tokyo, Japan, Three Brazilian Trombone Association National Festivals (Niteroi, Brasilia, San Joao del Rei ), the University of Rio (UNIRIO) International Trombone Festival (3x), the Conservatoire Superieur de Music a Rayonnement 2xs), Paris, France, Trombones de Costa Rica International Brass Festival (San Jose), Melos Brass Festival, (Corfu, Greece), nine I.T.A. International Trombone Festivals (Paris/France, Feldkirch/Austria, Aarhus/Denmark & USA) & The International Trombone Symposium (Melbourne, Australia).

In the United States, Mr. Lucas has appeared frequently as a soloist, recitalist, adjudicator & clinician. Past engagements include: Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie, Terrace Theatre at the Kennedy Center, The Julliard School, The Eastman School of Music, Rice University, The U.S. Army Band and Orchestra “Pershings Own”, The U.S. Naval Academy Band, The West Point U.S. Military Academy Band, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Masterworks Festival the Eastern Trombone Workshop (Wash. D.C.), Harmony Ridge Brass Festival (VT), 76 Trombones+4 Trombone Festival, Las Vegas, College Band Directors National Association Convention, The Texas Music Educators Association Convention, Las Vegas Music Festival, Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, Interlochen Arts Academy, Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, the New York Conference for Brass Scholarships as well as over a 160 appearances at U.S, festivals, conservatories, universities, schools & camps.

Mr. Lucas has served as the President of The International Trombone Association from 2008-2011 and previously as First Vice President from 2006-2008, and Chair of the I.T.A. Commissions Committee 11 years.

He has performed under the baton of many distinguished conductors including: Ivan Fisher, Leonard Slatkin, John Adams, Hugh Wolf, Christopher Hogwood and Giancarlo Guerrero.

Mr. Lucas has recorded with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the American Wind Symphony. Solo and Brass Chamber Music selections were recorded on two C.D. s for North South Recordings & Warwick Music Publishers, U.K. and Two Solo C.D. s: Hymns for Trombone and Cantabile.

He has premiered/commissioned many compositions from composers including: Fisher Tull, Jacques Casterede, Derek Bourgeouis, Adam Gorb, Henk Badings, Franz Cibulka, Alun Hoddinott, Theodore Antoniou, Carolina Calvache, Mary Jeanne Van Appledorn, Gary Belshaw, Bruce Stark, William Porras and Daniel Schnyder.

At Boston University, Mr. Lucas is the Associate Professor of Trombone and Chair of the Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion Department. He served for 12 years as the Boston University School of Music’s, London Program Coordinator at the Royal College of Music and is the Director of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s 2-week Trombone Workshop (17 years).

Previous teaching appointments include Texas Tech University, Guest Professor at Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, Visiting Professor Zhengzhou University, China, Eastern New Mexico University, Sam Houston State University and in the public schools of Virginia, Texas, and North Carolina.

Mr. Lucas is the founder of the annual Big-12 Trombone Conference and is a Performing Artist/Clinician for the S E Shires/Eastman Co. of Holliston, MA, USA

Awards

Mr. Lucas’ honors include the Premeir Prix Diploma from the  Guildhall School of Music (London); Bronze Medal L’unamite & Finalist, Toulon International Solo Competition; First Prize Winner ITA Frank Smith International Trombone Solo Competition; 1st Prize “Fellow”, Harmony Ridge Brass Festival (3xs) First Place Solo & Group Competitions, National Christian Artists Seminar; & 1st Prize The American Classic Trombone Quartet in the Summit Brass International Brass Chamber Group Competition and 1st  Prize in Honors Section with New England Brass Band, soloist  in Phillip Sparks “Year of the Dragon” at  the North American Brass Band Championships, Louisville, KY.