James Wilt joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in March 2003 as Associate Principal Trumpet. Prior to this, he spent 14 years as the Associate Principal Trumpet of the Houston Symphony. Additionally, Wilt was 4th/Utility trumpet with the New York Philharmonic, Associate Principal Trumpet of the Denver Symphony Orchestra (DSO)/Principal Trumpet of the DSO Pops and 3rd Trumpet with both the Rochester Philharmonic and Dayton Philharmonic.
Although primarily an orchestral musician, Wilt has performed a wide range of solo and chamber music, including three solo appearances with the Houston Symphony. Since joining the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he has performed regularly on the LA Phil's Chamber Music and Green Umbrella series. In 1999 and 2002, Wilt traveled to Japan to perform as Principal Trumpet of the Super World Orchestra at the Tokyo Music Festival. In January of 2007, he was invited to be Guest Principal Trumpet with the Symphonica Toscanini under Lorin Maazel during a United States tour.
Wilt received his BM, magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Eugene Blee. His graduate work was done at the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Charles Geyer, and he recently completed his master's degree from Eastman following a 30-year hiatus. Other teachers include Edward Treutel, Gordon Smith and John Chipurn. Wilt is the trumpet professor at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, and has also been on the faculty of CSULB, Rice University's Shepherd School of Music and the University of Northern Colorado. He has conducted master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Venezuela.
Wilt is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
