Brian Wendel

Brian Wendel joined The Cleveland Orchestra as Principal Trombone in August 2022, appointed by Franz Welser-Möst. He previously served as principal trombone of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for five seasons, and has appeared as a soloist with the Vancouver, Murcia, and Prince George symphonies, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Denver University Brass Ensemble, and Juilliard Trombone Choir.

Wendel is on faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music and is enthusiastic about working with students around the world. He has presented masterclasses at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa (Portugal), Hochschule Luzern (Switzerland), and Long Siew Tow Conservatory (Singapore), among others. Wendel served as adjunct professor of trombone at the University of British Columbia from 2019–22 and was also associate instructor for the Alessi Seminar Asia. In Vancouver, he co-founded Vancouver Trombone Week alongside VSO bass trombonist Ilan Morgenstern, which garnered attention from CTV Morning Live and CBC Music.

Wendel received his bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School under the mentorship of Joseph Alessi. He spent summer months at the Music Academy of the West, Pacific Music Festival, American Institute of Musical Studies (Graz, Austria), National Orchestral Institute, and the Alessi Seminar. He was also an inaugural member of the 2013 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America.

Wendel grew up in Conway, Massachusetts. Starting on the piano at age 6 and the trombone at age 9, he studied both classical and jazz music and was a student at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Some of his early musical mentors include David Sporny, Norman Bolter, Andy Jaffe, and his dad, Renato Wendel.

Amidst a busy and fulfilling musical life, Wendel cherishes above all else the time spent with his wife (and violist) Karen, and their two young boys.