Richard Harris

Session: Houston Symphony Trumpet Section

Richard Harris joined the Houston Symphony as second trumpet in May of 2018. In March of 2018, Mr. Harris gained the distinction of being the only musician in an American orchestra to have won auditions for each trumpet position in one orchestra. He achieved this notable accomplishment by winning nationally held blind auditions for the positions of Second Trumpet (2009), Associate Principal / 3rd Trumpet (2014) and Principal Trumpet (2018).  Mr. Harris has performed J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no. 2, Copland’s Quiet City, and Concerti by Vivaldi, Hummel, Haydn, and Neruda. He has enjoyed performing in orchestras all over the world including the Seoul Philharmonic in South Korea and the Jalisco Philharmonic in Guadalajara, Mexico. He has also performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, as well as many others.

An avid educator, Richard Harris currently serves on the faculty at Texas Tech University. Previously he has served on the faculty of UNC Charlotte, Winthrop University, and as the brass coach for the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra. Last year he served as trumpet/brass coach for AFA Texas, and this summer he will be performing and teaching at Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Harris has studied with Thomas Booth, Barbara Butler, and many others. He has degrees from Texas Tech University and Southern Methodist University (SMU), and will complete his DMA in Trumpet Performance from Texas Tech University this year, Lord willing.