Trombone

Houston Symphony Principal Trombone Retires After 44 Years

After 44 long but fruitful years, Allen Barnhill, Principal Trombone with the Houston Symphony, has retired from the Orchestra.

A native of Elizabethtown, North Carolina, Barnhill attended the Eastman School of Music where he was a student of Donald Knaub. Immediately after graduation, Barnhill won the audition for Principal Trombone with the Houston Symphony in 1977. During his tenure, Barnhill performed numerous solos with the orchestra including Cindy McTee’s Solstice for Trombone and Orchestra, and can be heard on recordings not only with Houston, but also with the Atlanta, San Antonio, and Rochester orchestras.

In addition to performing with the Houston Symphony, Barnhill is also the Associate Professor of Trombone at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Click this link to read an interview with Barnhill’s hometown newspaper.

Click this link to read an interview between Barnhill and the Houston Symphony’s Chief Operating Officer.

Jeremy Smith

Jeremy E. Smith is the Founder and Editor of Last Row Music. He received music degrees from Grace College, Carnegie Mellon University, and The Ohio State University. Currently, Jeremy is the bass trombonist of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra and performs throughout Ohio, where he lives with his wife and two sons. Smith is a member of the International Trombone Association and the Jazz Journalists Association.