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Micah Wilkinson was appointed principal trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by Music Director Manfred Honeck in September 2017 and holds the Martha Brooks Robinson Principal Trumpet Chair. He has enjoyed a varied career as an orchestral musician, soloist, chamber artist, and teacher.  Wilkinson came to the Pittsburgh Symphony from the San Diego Symphony, where he served as principal trumpet for three years. He previously held positions with the Houston Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Oregon Symphony and the Tucson Symphony. He performed recently in subscription programs as Guest Principal Trumpet with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic.  

As a featured soloist, Micah Wilkinson has been praised for "taming the brilliance he employs so well in many massive orchestrations to that gentle, liquid line." (San Diego Story) In the 2021-2022 season, he made his Pittsburgh Symphony concerto debut, performing Haydn's Trumpet Concerto and premiering Anthony Plog’s Scherzo for Trumpet and Orchestra. “The character of his playing was delightful, with sublimely lyrical phrases and a bright, nimble approach to the quicker bits.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) 

As a chamber musician, Micah Wilkinson has been recognized for his "complete confidence and refreshing catalogue of contrasting colors" (San Diego Story) and has been frequently featured on NPR's Performance Today. Professional summer festival appearances have included the Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Institute, Sun Valley Festival, Cabrillo Festival, Brevard Music Center, Round Top Institute, Bellingham Festival of Music and Astoria Music Festival. 

As an educator, Micah Wilkinson strives to help the next generation of brass players to find their own unique voices as musical artists. He is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after instructors for trumpet in the United States and enjoys working privately with students at his home studio in Pittsburgh and online through virtual platforms. He recently edited and released two solo collections for trumpet, the "Book of Solos" and the “Book of Arias,” which include his commentary on performance practice and historical context.  

In the summers, Micah Wilkinson has taught at the Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Institution School of Music, Round Top Festival Hill Institute and the Brevard Music Center. He has also served on the faculties of the University of Houston and Portland State University, and has presented master classes and clinics for colleges and universities all over the United States, Europe and Asia.  

Micah Wilkinson grew up in Norcross, Georgia. A proud graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, he pursued additional studies at Arizona State University and the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany. His primary teachers include Martin Hodel, David Hickman, Larry Black and Anthony Plog. He lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with his wife Stefani and daughters Eleanor and Amelia. 

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Neal Berntsen joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra trumpet section in March 1997, having been appointed at the invitation of Music Director Lorin Maazel in 1996. He is a native of Tacoma, Washington. He began his musical studies at age five playing the violin under the tutelage of his mother. By age eight, he advanced to the trumpet and ultimately received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Puget Sound and a Master of Music from Northwestern University. A former member of the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, Berntsen has also performed as principal trumpet for the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony Orchestra and the Bamberg Sinfoniker in Germany. Other orchestral performances have included the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Houston Symphony Orchestra. 

Active as a chamber musician, Neal Berntsen is a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass whose recordings, “Bach: The Art of Fugue” (1998), “A Christmas Concert” (2000), “The Spirit of Christmas” (2003) and “A Song of Christmas” (2008) were described as “...Awhirl with color and rhythmic vitality – quite irresistible on every count,” by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The recordings contain numerous arrangements by Berntsen. Berntsen is also a founding member of the award-winning Asbury Brass Quintet (ABQ), about which Fanfare magazine stated, ”The quintet is] not only expert but musical...undeniable virtuosity.” The ABQ’s recording with Adolph Herseth is widely regarded as an all-time classic. Berntsen has toured Japan with members of the Chicago Symphony brass section as the Chicago Brass Soloists. 

In 2017, Neal Berntsen gave the Pittsburgh premiere of James MacMillan’s concerto for trumpet, Seraph, performing with Resonance Works Orchestra with the composer in attendance. Under the baton of Keith Lockhart, Berntsen premiered and recorded Iranian-American composer Reza Vali’s “The Ancient Call” for micro-tonal trumpet and orchestra in 2015. Berntsen performed the piece on a specially modified trumpet, which enabled him to execute the Persian quarter tone scale. In 2018, his recording of “The Ancient Call” was named album of the year in Iran by Noise Magazine. Berntsen’s solo recording “Trumpet Voices” was released in November 2005. Critics describe the recording as “electric... an indispensable recording for anyone who appreciates great trumpet playing.” 

As an educator, Neal Berntsen is Chair of the brass division in the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon University. Berntsen also serves on the faculty of Roosevelt University in Chicago. Berntsen has presented master classes and recitals around the world. 

In summer 2009, Neal Berntsen began an association with the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, North Carolina. Berntsen serves as principal trumpet for the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, performs chamber music, teaches trumpet and coaches chamber music at the festival. 

Chad Winkler joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as fourth/utility trumpet in November 2008 and has been featured as soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Prior to winning the PSO position, Winkler held positions with the Wheeling Symphony, the West Virginia Symphony, and the Erie Philharmonic. He has performed with the orchestras of Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Detroit as guest principal trumpet, and has also performed with the orchestras of San Francisco, Minnesota, Honolulu, Louisville, and Jacksonville, as well as acting principal trumpet with the orchestras of the Pittsburgh Ballet and Pittsburgh Opera. Winkler is also principal trumpet of the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra in Lakeside, Ohio.



Winkler has led masterclasses at the University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, Butler University, West Virginia University, and the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico. Winkler has taught at the Masterworks Festival in Spartanburg, SC and the Eastman Trumpet Institute in Rochester, NY. Winkler also has a home studio of several middle and high school students.

Winkler won the National Trumpet Competition in 1995, 1998, and 2000. In 2013, he was invited to perform as guest soloist at the National Trumpet Competition.



In 2020-21, Winkler began a project of recording standard trumpet repertoire, where he plays both the trumpet solo and piano accompaniment. 



Originally from Morgantown, West Virginia, Winkler earned his Bachelor of Music degree from West Virginia University, where he studied with his father, Dr. John Winkler. Winkler earned his Master of Music degree from Duquesne University, where he studied with George Vosburgh, retired Pittsburgh Symphony principal trumpet.



Chad and his wife Elissa, who is Director of Music in Worship at Beverly Heights Church, live in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, with their son, Hudson, and daughter, Selah.



Chad Winkler on SoundCloud

During the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2011 European Festivals Tour, William Caballero, and the Pittsburgh Symphony horn section he leads,received rave reviews. Michael Church of The Independent called Caballero “a principal horn whose pianissimo is simply miraculous,” and Guy Dammann wrote in The Guardian, “The horn section — led very much from the front by their excellent principal William Caballero – is one of the best in the business.” In its September 2012 review of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Exton recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, Gramophone magazine wrote, “Pittsburgh’s first horn is as spectacular as any on disc.”  

The 2021-2022 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra season represents William Caballero’s 32nd as its principal horn under Maestros Manfred Honeck, Mariss Jansons and Lorin Maazel. Before joining the symphony in May 1989, Caballero previously held principal horn positions with the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Hartford Symphony. He held third horn positions with the Montreal Symphony, Montreal Opera and acting third horn with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. He has performed as guest principal horn with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the St. Louis Symphony.   

Born in New Mexico and raised in Wisconsin, William Caballero’s early horn studies included working under Larry Simons, Barry Benjamin and Basil Tyler, as well as studying the piano and pipe organ. Caballero graduated from New England Conservatory in Boston where he studied with Richard Mackey and Thomas Newell, both former members of the Boston Symphony.  

Currently, William Caballero is the associate teaching professor of horn at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music. Previously he held teaching positions at Indiana University Bloomington, Rice University in Houston, Texas, and Duquesne University. He has been invited and presented master classes throughout the world including Northwestern University, Colburn School of Music, New England Conservatory, University of Indiana Bloomington, Cleveland Institute of Music, Curtis Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music, New World Symphony, and the Beijing and Shanghai Conservatories. Summers have included teaching and performing at the Aspen Music Festival, the Chautauqua Music Festival, and the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan.  

In January 2012, William Caballero began collaboration with the Internet music teaching company ArtistWorks.com based in Napa, California. His teaching website was released in September 2012 as the only complete horn teaching curriculum available via the internet for horn students worldwide.   

William Caballero is also in demand as a chamber musician collaborating with musicians such as violinists Gil Shaham, Joseph Silverstein and Philip Setzer, and pianists André Previn, Christoph Eshenbach, Orli Shaham and Andre Watts. William has also performed and worked with jazz musician and composer Chris Brubeck, as well as ensembles that include the Tokyo String Quartet, Trio Johannas, Principal Strings of the Berlin Philharmonic, Center City Brass, Bay Chamber Concert Series, St. Barth’s Music Festival and the Grand Teton Music Festival. He is also a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass, which includes fellow colleagues of the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass section.   

Recent chamber music performances include performing Brahms’ Horn Trio in E-flat major with Gil and Orli Shaham in Zankel Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York and appearing several times live on National Public Radio’s (NPR) “Performance Today” in NPR’s Washington, D.C. studios.   

William Caballero solo’s regularly with the Pittsburgh Symphony with most recent collaboration as soloist under Maestro Honeck. In April 2014, Caballero performed the world premiere of Robert Levin Edition of Mozart’s 1st Horn Concerto in D, and in September 2012 performed the Pittsburgh Symphony premiere of Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1. Previous solo performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have included Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat with Maestro Maazel, Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat with Maestro Andre Previn, Mozart Concerto fragments with Pittsburgh Symphony Concertmaster Andres Cardenes, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Maestro Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and tenor Anthony Griffey, Schumann’s Konzertstück in F for four horns and orchestra with his Pittsburgh Symphony horn colleagues under the baton of Maestro Sir John Elliot Gardener, and the John Williams Horn Concerto under the baton of Maestro Leonard Slatkin.  

Other recent solo appearances outside of the Pittsburgh Symphony  have included performances in Montenegro with Maestro Ronald Zollman and with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic at New York City’s Carnegie Hall under the baton of former Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dale Clevenger.  

In May 1992, William Caballero premiered Benjamin Lees’ Concerto for Horn and Orchestra with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the baton of then-Music Director Lorin Maazel. Following the performances in Pittsburgh, he performed Lees’ Concerto in Spain, Germany, and England with the Pittsburgh Symphony on tour. In May 1996, Caballero recorded the concerto with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Lorin Maazel for New World Records.  

Caballero holds the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Anonymous Foundation Principal Horn Chair.

In the fall of 1999, Peter Sullivan was appointed principal trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by Mariss Jansons. Canadian-born Sullivan came to Pittsburgh following a long and fruitful tenure as Solo Trombone with the Montreal Symphony under Charles Dutoit. 

Sullivan has performed as a soloist on many occasions with several orchestras including the Pittsburgh Symphony and Montreal Symphony. In 2006, he performed the world premiere performance of Jennifer Higdon's Trombone Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis and the Pittsburgh Symphony. 

Apart from his activities in Pittsburgh, Peter Sullivan performs regularly across North America, Europe and Asia as soloist and chamber musician alongside the world's leading brass players.  He is a regular visitor to Japan, playing and teaching at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, the Suntory recital hall in Tokyo, the Hamamatsu Summer Academy, as well as performing solo recitals in Osaka. In China, Sullivan is involved with the Canton International Summer Music Academy and performed and gave master classes at the Tian Jin and Beijing Conservatories in April of 2006. 

Aside from countless orchestral performances in the great concert halls of Europe, Peter Sullivan has performed at the Ascoli Piceno Brass Festival in Italy, and was featured in Christian Lindberg's Trombone Concerto in Bunol, Spain with the composer on the podium. Sullivan was also the first prize winner in the 1990 Umea International Solo Competition in Sweden. 

Here at home, Peter Sullivan has given concerts and clinics from coast to coast, including master classes at the Juilliard and Manhattan schools in New York City, The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, the Glenn Gould Academy in Toronto, coaching at the New World Symphony and the Banff School, and tours with the Summit Brass and the Music of the Baroque in Chicago. He has been heard across Canada in recital on CBC radio and on NPR with his colleagues in the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass. 

Presently, Peter Sullivan serves on the faculties of Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon universities in Pittsburgh, following 15 years as adjunct professor at McGill University in Montreal. For the past few years, he has been working with the Yamaha Corporation on the development of their new line of orchestral trombones, the prototype of which he plays every week with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. 

Douglas Rosenthal was appointed Associate Principal Trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2023 by Music Director Manfred Honeck. Previously, he served for 11 years as the Assistant Principal Trombonist of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Washington, DC. This is the designated orchestra for the Washington National Opera as well as ballet, musical theater, chamber music, and other in-house productions and presentations at the Kennedy Center, including the annual star-studded Kennedy Center Honors. While in Washington, Douglas performed around town with groups such as the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Post-Classical Ensemble, and the Washington Symphonic Brass. He has also frequently been a guest musician with other orchestras across the country, including those of Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Colorado, Dallas, Harrisburg, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Music of the Baroque (Chicago), Nashville, National (Symphony Orchestra), Phoenix, St. Louis, Sun Valley, and Utah. 

Douglas has become a specialist in the Bass Trumpet, a European military band instrument that Richard Wagner brought into the orchestra pit in the mid-1800s as one of the most prominently heard instruments in his four-opera “Ring Cycle.” It has subsequently been included in works by Janacek, Strauss, Stravinsky, and others. Douglas enjoys the nobility, excitement, brilliance, and beauty of sound that one can achieve on the Bass Trumpet. It is a challenging instrument, but the artistic rewards are well worth the effort.

During his time in Washington, Douglas participated in union and community activism. He served on the Executive Board of Directors for the DC Federation of Musicians (AFM Local 161-710) for nine years and was a delegate to the Metropolitan Washington AFL-CIO and DC Jobs with Justice. He enjoyed participating in labor actions as well as social justice marches and rallies at and around the White House, Supreme Court, and US Capitol Building.

Douglas is married to Garrett Law, a member of the Horn Section of the Omaha Symphony for six years. They have two cats, Sophia and Casserole, who remind them often about what’s most important in life: food, napping, and looking out for one another. 

Douglas was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. He attended public schools in Northbrook and was a member of Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. Douglas pursued Trombone Performance at Northwestern University, receiving a Bachelor of Music (cum laude). He sought further training in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida. As a student, Douglas participated in the summer music festivals at Aspen, Roundtop, the National Orchestral Institute, Music Academy of the West, and Tanglewood.

James Nova joined the Grammy award-winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2009 as second/utility trombone. In 2012, Nova made his solo debut with the PSO, performing Henri Tomasi’s Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra. Prior to that, he was a member of the Utah Symphony Orchestra where he served eight seasons as assistant principal/second trombone.  

Since 2012, James Nova has found a new passion in multitrack recording, also known as "overdubbing." Overdubbing is a process by which a musician records all the parts of a piece of music one by one and layers the recordings on top of each other to create a full ensemble. Nova has released dozens of stunning and virtuosic tracks of his own challenging arrangements of exciting repertoire for trombone choir. The arrangements employ many different trombones: contra bass, bass, tenor, small tenor, alto, and even soprano trombones! 

James Nova has had a lifelong love of John Williams’ film scores and in December of 2017, he released a new overdub album for trombone choir, A Fall from Light to Dark. Through the chosen moments of John Williams’ masterful scores, this album musically chronicles the rise and descent of Anakin Skywalker as he transforms into Darth Vader. Truly a one-man show, this album’s transcriptions, playing, recording, editing, mixing and mastering were all done by Nova himself. 

James Nova has always been passionate about music education. When not on stage at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Symphony, he can be found at the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University where he is brass coordinator and adjunct trombone faculty, as well as the brass coach of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. Given their widespread popularity, Nova’s recordings are playing an impactful role in inspiring the next generation of musicians and budding recording artists and he is frequently invited to teach outside the region. Since 2012, he has completed more than 82 visits to prominent festivals (such as the International Trombone Festival, American Trombone Workshop, and the Korea Trombone Festival, among others) and reputable educational institutions (such as the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard School of Music, and New England Conservatory, among others) as the featured artist and educator in concerts, masterclasses, and clinics. 

James Nova studied with Glenn Dodson at the Curtis Institute of Music followed by study with Norman Bolter at the New England Conservatory of Music. While in Boston, Nova played regularly with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra, including recordings and television broadcasts as both principal and second trombone.  

James Nova is an S.E. Shires Artist and performs on his signature line of Greg Black Mouthpieces. 

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Jeff Dee joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as principal bass trombone in September 2016. Prior to this appointment, he held positions with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, and Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestras. Dee has guest performed with the major orchestras of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Naples, New York, Rochester and San Francisco. He also serves as artist lecturer of bass trombone at Carnegie Mellon University. 

A native of Plano, Texas, Jeff Dee attributes his love of music to his public-school music education and his inspiring teachers. He received a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree from The Juilliard School. His principal teachers include Joseph Alessi, Bob Burnham, Donald Harwood, and John Kitzman.  

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Craig Knox has been principal tuba of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since 2005, and holds the Dr. Mary Ann Craig Chair. He previously held positions of acting principal tuba of the San Francisco Symphony, and principal tuba of the Sacramento Symphony. He has also performed with many other major American orchestras, including those of Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and Seattle, and with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande of Geneva, Switzerland. Since 1995, he has spent part of each summer as co-principal tuba of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson, Wyoming. 

In March 2018, Craig Knox played the world premiere of the Jennifer Higdon Tuba Concerto (a Pittsburgh Symphony co-commission) with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Robert Spano conducting, performances of which the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said, “Mr. Knox played with assurance and complete command of his instrument, providing a convincing case for the solo potential of the tuba.” In 2019 he performed the work again, in Philadelphia's Verizon Hall, with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and Mark Russell Smith conducting. In March 2012, Knox performed the world-premiere performances of Andre Previn's Triple Concerto for Trumpet, Horn and Tuba with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mr. Previn; he performed a reprise as part of the Pittsburgh Symphony's 120th Anniversary Celebration Concert, with Music Director Manfred Honeck conducting. Knox has also performed as a soloist with the U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) in Washington D.C., the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and the Carnegie Mellon University Wind Ensemble. His solo recording, “A Road Less Traveled”, of music for tuba and piano with Rodrigo Ojeda, was released in 2012. 

Craig Knox is co-founder of the Center City Brass Quintet, which has performed in recitals throughout the United States and Japan. Its six recordings on the Chandos and Octavia labels have met with critical acclaim, the first being described by American Record Guide as “one of the all-time great brass quintet recordings.” He played for several seasons with the Chicago Chamber Musicians Brass Quintet, and has toured with the Empire Brass. In 2008, the Albany label released a recording featuring Knox and his colleagues in the Pittsburgh Symphony low-brass section.  

Craig Knox is Artist Lecturer of Tuba at Carnegie Mellon University, and a faculty member at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He regularly presents master classes, seminars and recitals at universities, conservatories and festivals around the world. A native of Storrs, Connecticut, Knox began formal musical studies on the classical guitar at age six. His first tuba teachers included Gary Ofenloch, Samuel Pilafian and Chester Schmitz, and he attended the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Paul Krzywicki, earning a Bachelor of Music degree. He was also a fellow at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. 

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Jim Benoit, a native of Niskayuna, New York, is the newly appointed Principal Timpanist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Previously, Jim was the Principal Timpanist of the Seattle Symphony, the Associate Principal Percussionist and Assistant Principal Timpanist of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and a section percussionist with the Sarasota Opera. He also has performed with the Boston Pops, Malaysian Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony, Albany Symphony, and the New World Symphony, and toured with the Star Wars in Concert Orchestra.

As an educator, Jim was on faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and the Luzerne Music Center. Jim enjoys teaching and coaching a variety of subjects, including timpani, percussion, and chamber music. He also has a passion for performing and teaching jazz vibraphone, stemming from his time touring as the vibraphonist of The Waitiki 7, a polynesian latin/jazz band.

Jim received his Artist Diploma from Duquesne University, his Master of Music from The Juilliard School, and his Bachelor of Music from the Berklee College of Music.

Andrew Reamer joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra percussion section in 1989.  He was appointed associate principal percussion in 2003 and principal percussion in 2008. He earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Temple University. Reamer has taught at Duquesne University for 25 years and plays jazz with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra colleagues in The White Tie Group.

He has composed a popular collection of etudes for marimba entitled “Reamer’s Elixirs Two-Mallet Fixers” and is an endorser for Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads and Innovative Mallets.

He carries on a drum- and stick-making tradition that can be traced to the mid-19th century, and his work and innovations can be viewed at drummersservice.com. His custom drums and sticks are used by the most prestigious orchestras and universities throughout the world.

Reamer gets around Pittsburgh on a bike, a motorcycle or in a kayak regardless of the weather.