Ethan Shrier

In-Person Lessons

Ethan Shrier, a native of Potomac, MD, was appointed principal trombone of the Vancouver Symphony midway through the 2024/25 season, after having served as acting second trombone beginning in the 2023/24 season. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the Juilliard School, where he was the first trombonist to be awarded the prestigious Kovner Fellowship, and a Master’s Degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. In the summers Ethan has performed at the Verbier Festival, Music Academy of the West, and the Tanglewood Music Center, and has toured internationally with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA.

A sought after orchestral musician, Ethan has performed as a guest principal with the Seattle, San Francisco and Sydney Symphony Orchestras and has appeared with the Houston Symphony and Jacksonville Symphony. He has worked with renowned conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Klaus Mäkelä, Herbert Blomstedt, and Andris Nelsons.

An avid teacher, Ethan has served on the faculty of the Washington Brass Institute’s Summer Bootcamp in the Washington D.C. area, and currently is on faculty at the VSO School of Music.

Ethan’s primary teachers include Joseph Alessi, Allen Barnhill, Barbara Butler, and Ken Wolff.