Steven Franklin

Steven Franklin joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in 2023 as Principal Trumpet. Prior to his appointment with the SLSO, he was Associate Principal Trumpet of the Kansas City Symphony, Principal Trumpet of the Hawaii Symphony, and a Fellow with the New World Symphony. He has performed as guest principal trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony under Maestro Riccardo Muti. Franklin earned his bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music studying with David Bilger. While in school, he was a frequent substitute with the Rochester Philharmonic and attended the National Orchestral Institute, where he recorded as principal trumpet on Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring (Naxos Records).

Franklin has also led an active career as a chamber musician and soloist. He was a founding member of The Brass Project, a Philadelphia-based brass sextet that commissioned over 40 new works during his tenure. As soloist, he has appeared with the St. Louis Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, New World Symphony, Chamber Music Society of St. Louis, Ocean City Pops, and Lake Placid Sinfonietta, among others. He has won first prize in various competitions including the Roger Voisin Memorial Trumpet Competition, the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition, and the National Trumpet Competition.

His debut solo album, Skylight, was recorded and released in 2022. On this recording he can be heard as trumpet player, pianist, and composer. A handful of his original compositions are also featured, including the premiere of his ambitious Sonata for Trumpet and Piano.

As an educator, Franklin remains active as a private teacher and clinician. He has been on faculty for the MasterWorks Festival, Credo Orchestral Institute, and the Eastman Summer Trumpet Seminar. As a clinician, Franklin has given masterclasses throughout the United States, including the University of Iowa and the University of Missouri, as well as abroad in South America and Asia.

In addition to his career as a trumpet player, Franklin is also an active composer. He has been commissioned by the American Brass Quintet, Lake Placid Sinfonietta, and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, and Kansas City Symphony, among others. His typically post-romantic style “looks back longingly to the abiding tonal sensibilities of Richard Strauss” (Philadelphia Inquirer). The Oregon ArtsWatch also observes, “The yearning, conflicted melody Franklin envelops in almost-jazzy late Romantic harmony (is reminiscent) of the bittersweet, melancholy sentimentality (in) John Williams…” Some have also remarked that his “harmonic and melodic style has a distinct cinematic flavor” (San Francisco Classical Voice). Despite his love for the music of Strauss and his cinematic style, Franklin’s music continues to evolve as he explores new ways of achieving the depth of expression possible in music.

When not practicing or composing, most of his other interests involve being outdoors, including hiking and triathlon. He is originally from Chicago and he currently resides in Chesterfield with his wife, Naomi.