Josh Wirt
MM Tuba Performance, DePaul University
PGDip Tuba Performance, Royal Northern College of Music
BA Music Performance, Virginia Tech
Josh Wirt has maintained an active professional career on the tuba over the past 30 years. After completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Tuba Performance from Virginia Tech studying with Dr. Jay Crone, he then went on to earn a PGDip (HONS) from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK) where he studied with Roger Bobo, Mel Culberston, and James Gourlay. During his time in the UK, Josh performed as a regular member of the world-famous Fairey Band (formerly the Williams Fairey Brass Band).
Josh then moved to Chicago in 2009 to pursue a Masters Degree at DePaul University with Floyd Cooley. During his Masters studies at DePaul, Josh was an associate member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from 2010-2013 where he performed with the orchestra and frequently with the Civic Orchestra MusiCorps Brass Quintet.
Currently, Josh is Principal Tuba with the Elmhurst Symphony and the Wintergreen Music Festival (VA). He performs regularly as an extra/sub with the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic orchestras. In addition to orchestral performances, Josh maintains a busy chamber performance schedule with New Chicago Brass as well as a freelance performer and recording session artist. Recently, he was a featured soloist on a WFMT broadcast showcasing the music of Leonard Bernstein where he performed the ‘Waltz for Mippy III’. In April 2018 and in October 2019 he performed the Gregson Tuba Concerto with bands at Virginia Tech and Elmhurst University. As an educator, Josh teaches applied tuba/euphonium, chamber coaching and brass methods courses at Elmhurst University and also maintains a select private studio of highly successful students from around the Chicagoland area who regularly earn regional, state and international honors (including two recent Silver Medal recipients at the Leonard Falcone International Tuba/Euphonium Festival). Josh is a member of the International Tuba/Euphonium Association and Chicago Federation of Musicians AFM Local 10-108.