Gracie Potter debuts as Detroit Principal

Gracie Potter

After winning the audition for principal trombone in Detroit Symphony Orchestra last November, Gracie Potter made her debut at the position this weekend. Potter is a well known musician in the brass world, and has previously played with groups such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony. She currently holds the position of Acting Principal Trombone of the Richmond Symphony

Gracie Potter obtained her bachelor’s degree at the Colburn School of Music in LA, US, with David Rejano as her main trombone teacher. In October 2024, she made her soloist debut playing the L. E. Larsson Concertino with the Whittier Regional Symphony. This was after winning the orchestra’s Young Artist competition. She also won the 2024 ITA Frank Smith Competition, and the 2023 ITA Robert Marsteller Competition.

In 2022, she attended Music Academy in Santa Barbara, winning the Keston MAX Competition which sent her to London for a 10 day residency with the London Symphony Orchestra. The same year she placed first in the International Women’s Brass Conference Trombone Category and won the Phoenix Brass Collective competition. For the past two summers, she has attended the Tanglewood Music Center where she has worked with members of the Boston Symphony.

You can listen to her play Henri Dutelleux’ “Chorale, Candence et Fugato”, accompanied by her brother Caden Potter. The live video is from a her winning a competition in 2023.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZOxC0FakrQ

Eyvind Sommerfelt

ITA Online News Coordinator