Los Angeles Philharmonic Player Bios

[Derek Reaban]

Thomas Stevens



Thomas Stevens was appointed to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1965 by then music director, Zubin Mehta, who named him principal trumpet in 1972, a position he held until 1999. He served in the same capacity with the "Orchestra of the World," Sir George Solti's hand-picked group assembled in Geneva for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, and the Casals Festival Orchestra in Puerto Rico. The Los Angeles appointment was preceded by a stint in the U.S. Army as solo trumpeter with the United States Military Academy Band at West Point followed by a one year engagement with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his work as an orchestral musician, Mr.Stevens has performed and recorded as a soloist and chamber musician with major organizations, worldwide, including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He was a founding member of the Los Angeles Brass Quintet and also maintained an active presence in the Hollywood recording studios for many years, working on motion picture and television soundtrack recordings.

Stevens is perhaps best known for his activities in the promotion, performance, and premier recordings of new music for solo trumpet. His efforts have resulted in many works that have become staples of the genre, including the "Sequenza X" of Luciano Berio, which was written specifically for him.

Mr. Stevens is a published composer, arranger, and orchestrator whose works have been performed in many concert venues and on recordings. His educational materials are used in music schools throughout the world. Thomas Stevens has been a faculty member at the University of Southern California, CalArts, and the Music Academy of the West. He has also given masterclasses and has had residencies at numerous institutions around the globe. The list of his former students includes prominent soloists, members of major symphony orchestras, and faculty members at leading universities and schools of music.

Following his retirement from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Thomas Stevens was active on the international master class circuit, which included a stint as the assistant director of TAW in Bremen, Germany. He also wrote a regular column, called “Backstage,” for the Brass Bulletin. He is currently affiliated with Editions Bim (Switzerland) as a member of the editorial staff and a special projects coordinator.

In 1996, Stevens was named outstanding alumnus of the year by the University of Southern California School of Music, where he did his undergraduate studies.

Player bio taken from StepanianMusic.com web site from 2005.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

Robert DiVall


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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

Christopher Still



Christopher Still joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007. Before coming to California, Chris performed as Principal Trumpet of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Chris has also held the positions of Associate Principal Trumpet of the Dallas Symphony and Principal Trumpet of the Charleston (SC) Symphony. Additionally, he has served as Assistant Principal Trumpet with the Grant Park Festival Orchestra in Chicago's Millenium Park. He has performed with the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, Portland (ME) Symphony, Boston Philharmonic, Vermont Symphony, and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia in La Coruna, Spain. Chris has appeared as a soloist with the Colorado and the Littleton (CO) symphonies. He can be heard on recordings with the Grant Park, Dallas, and Albany (NY) symphony orchestras. Chris is a dedicated educator and an active clinician.

Having grown up in a musical household, Chris originally intended to become a band director and earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Crane School of Music (SUNY-Potsdam). Switching to performance, he received his Master of Music Performance degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston. Chris's teachers have included Charles Schlueter of the Boston Symphony, James Pandolfi of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and Vincent Penzarella of the New York Philharmonic. He was a Tanglewood Music Center Fellow in 1995 and 1996.

Chris lives with his wife Amanda McIntosh, a clarinetist. He enjoys distance running, skiing, brewing beer, and training his dogs Cruz and Grette.

Player bio taken from the Los Angeles Philharmonic web site from 2007.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest