Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra

RICK KIRGAN - TRUMPET

Rick is from Northwest Indiana; born in Cedar Lake and grew up in Lowell (his parents still live there.) He went to Lowell High School and in middle school and high school he studied with Steven Orcutt from Valparaiso. From there Rick went to Indiana University where he studied with Alan Dean, Ed Cord and Bernard Adelstein. He earned a degree in Music Education and graduated with an honorary Performer's Certificate.

After college, Rick got a job playing in the Guanajuato Symphony in Guanajuato, Mexico and taught trumpet at the University of Guanajuato. In 1997, he won principal trumpet in the Filarmonica de la UNAM in Mexico City with whom he played as soloist on numerous occasions and was appointed professor of trumpet and chamber music at the School of Music of the National University of Mexico. Rick also performed outside the orchestra frequently as a soloist and recording artist. He has performed with such groups and soloists as Pinchas Zuckerman, Placido Domingo,

the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Boshoi and Kirov Ballets from Russia, the American Ballet Theatre, the Bee Gees, and the legendary rock band Deep Purple as well as several Mexican pop artists.

Rick has taken classes from Phillip Smith Principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, Vincent Cichowicz former Chicago Symphony trumpeter and James Thompson former principal trumpet of the Altanta and Montreal Symphony Orchestras.

Last year, Rick and his wife Martha relocated to Chicago where she teaches Spanish in an inner city charter school. They spend their weekends hiking and cycling. Rick is also an avid guitarist and singer, a real wine buff, and a certified Spanish interpreter.