Timothy Higgins officially began his role as principal trombone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the start of the 2025–26 season. Higgins won the final audition for principal trombone in April 2025 and is the second CSO musician to be appointed by Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä. He appeared as guest principal trombone with Mäkelä and the CSO for memorable performances of Mahler’s Third Symphony in April and with Jaap van Zweden for spring performances of Mahler’s Sixth and Seventh symphonies in Chicago, on the Orchestra’s 2025 European Tour and the final two weeks at the 2025 Ravinia Festival as guest principal trombone.
Prior to his appointment to the CSO, Higgins served as principal trombone of the San Francisco Symphony, appointed by Michael Tilson Thomas in 2008. He was previously the acting second trombonist with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.
In addition to an active orchestra career, Higgins is a highly regarded composer and arranger. He was the sole arranger of the National Brass Ensemble’s Gabrieli recording. In November 2021, Higgins composed and performed as soloist in the premiere of his Concerto for Trombone with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. Additional arrangements and compositions by Higgins have been programmed by the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Steamboat Springs Strings Festival and numerous university brass ensembles. His compositions have been commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony, American Brass Quintet, international tuba soloist Sergio Carolino and Music City Brass Ensemble. Higgins was the composer-in-residence at Music Academy of the West in 2018, debuting a piece for chamber ensemble and voice featuring renowned American soprano Deborah Voigt. His arrangements and original compositions are available through his publishing company, 415Music, established in 2014. He released a solo CD, Stage Left, which features his own compositions in 2013. Recent albums include two self-produced recordings from 2020 in his Underground series.
A respected educator, Higgins has served on the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and the Pokorny Low Brass Seminar at Northern Illinois University. He has also been part of the brass faculty at the Aspen Music Festival and Pacific Music Festival. Higgins has led masterclasses in Australia, China, Canada, Japan and North America, including classes at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, New World Symphony, Vanderbilt University, Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Higgins came to the Chicago area to attend Northwestern University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in music performance and studied with CSO Trombone Michael Mulcahy. His other principal teachers were Michael Warny (Houston Grand Opera) and Royce Landon (Des Moines, Iowa). In 2005, Higgins won the Robert Marsteller Solo trombone competition, as well as the International Trombone Association (ITA) Trombone Quartet competition with his group CT3. While attending the Tanglewood Music Center, Higgins was awarded the Grace B. Upton Award for Outstanding Fellow. Timothy Higgins is a Bach Artist and an Ultimate Brass Artist.
