Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra Welcome James Vaughen as Principal Trumpet
November 10, 2025(Philadelphia, November 10, 2025)—The Philadelphia Orchestra is pleased to announce the appointment of James Vaughen as principal trumpet (Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest Chair). Vaughen will assume the role in 2026 at a date to be determined.
“James is an exceptional musician with a beautiful sound who will be a natural fit with The Philadelphia Orchestra,” said Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “Having studied with former Principal Trumpet David Bilger at Curtis, James knows the Philadelphia Sound, not just in theory but in spirit, which is reflected in his own playing. I am thrilled to welcome him to our Orchestra family and can’t wait to experience the impact of his artistry for years to come.”
“The Philadelphia Orchestra continues to attract the best musicians in the world,” said Ryan Fleur, president and CEO. “I look forward to witnessing James’s immense musical contributions.”
Vaughen joins the Philadelphians from the Minnesota Orchestra, where he served as principal trumpet. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he has performed throughout Europe with the London Symphony Orchestra, toured internationally with the Canadian Brass, and was awarded both First Prize and the Audience Award at the 2023 Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments. In 2024 he appeared as a soloist with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra. Vaughen previously served as assistant principal trumpet of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, held a one-year principal position with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and was assistant principal trumpet of the Chicago Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra.
Passionate about expanding the trumpet’s solo repertoire, Vaughen performs extensively in recitals and competitions. He won First Prize in all three divisions of the 2021 International Trumpet Guild Ryan Anthony Memorial Competition and won the 2020 Roger Voisin Memorial Trumpet Competition. He placed third in the 2021 Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Competition and was awarded Special Jury Prize at the 2022 Maurice André International Trumpet Competition.
Vaughen performed across four continents with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra (2015–17) and returned for its All-Star Carnegie Hall concerts in March 2024 and October 2025. He was a member of the Pacific Music Festival Academy in 2018 and a Tanglewood Music Center Fellow in 2020 and 2021. He has also performed as guest principal trumpet with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Florida Orchestra, and the Grand Rapids Symphony.