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Douglas C. Carlsen

Associate Principal Trumpet, Rudolph W. and Gladys Davis Miller Chair

Douglas C. Carlsen joined the Minnesota Orchestra as associate principal trumpet in 1999, after holding the principal trumpet post with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and since has been featured here in Sommerfest chamber music performances and performances of Copland’s Quiet City, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and Sibelius' Overture for Brass Septet, among others. He has served as acting associate principal with the San Francisco Symphony and performed with the San Diego Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Grant Park Festival Orchestra, Sun Valley Music Festival and Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. 

A committed chamber musician, Carlsen has performed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra, Banff Summer Music Festival, Summit Brass and Uptown Brass Quintet. He has participated in music festivals throughout Europe, Canada and the United States, and he has recorded Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Trumpets with David Hickman on the Summit Records label.

Carlsen, a native of Nebraska, learned music from both of his parents. He attended Arizona State University, where he was a student of David Hickman and Anthony Plog. Other teachers included Steve Ericksen and Craig Bircher. He and his wife, Naoko, live in Excelsior, where they enjoy gardening, golfing and taking long walks with their rat terrier, Koko. They also love to explore Japan, Naoko’s native country.