Douglas Rosenthal

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. Douglas 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.

In addition to his duties in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Douglas is on faculty at the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University, where he is an Adjunct Professor of Trombone and the Brass Area Chamber Music Coordinator. Douglas also serves on the Executive Board of the Pittsburgh Musicians' Union (AFM Local 60-471) and enjoys being involved in various local social justice initiatives, especially those relating to LGBTQIA+ issues. Douglas is married to Garrett Law, fellow MPSOM Faculty member and Principal Horn of the Erie Philharmonic. They have two cats, Casserole and Liza, 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 the 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.

• B.M., Northwestern University

• Trombone
• Chamber Music