Gilles Bernard, Trombone

Performance

Allentown Symphony Orchestra (PA)

Lancaster Festival (OH)

Instruction

New Jersey City University (NJ)

Manhattan School of Music Pre-college Division (NY)

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French native Gilles Bernard is Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of Brass Studies at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ, and faculty at Manhattan School of Music Pre-college Division (NYC).  He graduated from the Juilliard School (BM, MM) and from the Manhattan School of Music (DMA).  He holds the position of principal trombone with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra (PA) and was second trombone with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra (OH) for nineteen seasons.  An active freelance artist, past and present performances include organizations such as the Metropolitan Opera, the Albany Symphony, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic (NY), the Harrisburg and Reading Symphony orchestras (PA), the Hartford Symphony, the Connecticut Opera (CT), the Berkshire Opera (MA), Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the Broadway revival of The King and I.  Before moving to the United-States, he performed on several occasions as an substitute/extra with the Orchestre National de France under Lorin Maazel, Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Vaclav Neumann, and George Prêtre. He appeared in solo performances and recitals on the Faculty Concert Series of Manhattan School of Music Pre-college Division and the Miusic@One concert series and Women Composers Showcase at New Jersey City University. He has recorded for the League of Composers/ISCM, the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, and the reputed Saint-Thomas Choir of Men and Boys (NYC).

Allentown Symphony Orchestra

New Jersey City University

Manhattan School of Music Pre-college Division



"Trombonist Gilles Bernard and Kyle Resnick and C.J. Camerieri, cornets, worked wonders as they played with extraordinary sensitivity, often using very quiet dynamics, rarely encountered in brasses, producing glowing and mellow blended sound that was very special." (William Thomas Walker, Classic Voice of North Carolina, in a review of the East Coast premiere of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra on WFU's Secrest Series). 

Of Susan Botti's Windows for unaccompanied trombone, Bernard Holland wrote "Ms Botti...uses her soloist--here it was the excellent Gilles Bernard--to create sound effects, utter little cries of emotion and engage in what is more or less wordless small talk."  (The New York Times).