Josh Cirtina: Bass Trombone

Principal Bass Trombone

Josh Cirtina is Principal Bass Trombone of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Artistic Director of the award-winning Slide Action quartet and an Associate Member of the Royal Northern College of Music.

A member of the RPO since June 2019, Josh records regularly for game, film and television soundtracks. He has performed with most UK orchestras including the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and Royal Opera House orchestras, amongst many others. 

As a soloist, Josh has won multiple international competitions, including the 2014 International Trombone Association's George Roberts Bass Trombone Competition, and in 2022 performed the world premiere of Robin Haigh’s The Dreamers, a concerto for four trombones, alongside Slide Action and the Britten Pears Contemporary Ensemble.

In 2023, Josh was extremely fortunate to be chosen as a member of the Coronation Orchestra for the Coronation of HM King Charles III. 

Josh is a performing artist for Denis Wick Products Ltd.

Josh is a member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Board of Directors.

Chair Patron

Josh gratefully acknowledges the support of his Chair Patrons, James Williams and Edward Lidster.

How did you become involved with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)?

I first worked with the Orchestra as a guest player back in October 2018, covering for my legendary predecessor Roger Argente (who gave twenty-seven years to the Orchestra!), before auditioning for the seat in 2019.

What was your first experience of orchestral music?

My school music teacher took our class to see the CBSO (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) play Mahler’s Fifth Symphony with Andris Nelsons when I was about 15, which was rather transformative for me.

How did you find yourself on this career journey?

I actually nearly chose to pursue a career in engineering/product design or farming (story for another day…), but while still at school I was playing Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ Symphony with a youth orchestra and had such a fantastic time that I pretty much instantly knew that this is what I wanted to do.

What is the best thing about being part of the RPO family?

The camaraderie between all members of the organisation and the variety of music we get to perform – it’s never boring.

Tell us about your favourite RPO journey.

Not particularly exotic, but I love my cycle commute to the Royal Albert Hall. Cycling through Hyde Park on a crisp, misty morning is really fun.

Do you have any pre-concert rituals?

Pre-rehearsal, I find a good coffee is an essential part of my routine (filter/pour-over or a double espresso), but before a concert, I take great pride in the art of self-tying my bow tie.

Must listens – if you had to recommend one artist or composer, who would it be and why?

Not exclusively orchestral, but composer Emily Hall. Her music uses such a wonderful palette of colours that I find really serene and calming. She writes beautiful songs and often works with interesting combinations of instruments.

Symphonic crossover – if you could work with any artist on a performance or project, who would you choose?

I’d love to work with the prog-rock band Muse. Their album The Resistance features a symphony written by Matt Bellamy with lots of orchestral textures that work in such a cool way. I’d love to do some kind of crossover with them and see what happens!

Away from music, tell us two of your favourite hobbies and why they strike such a chord.

As alluded to above, I spend an inordinate amount of time brewing/tasting coffee and roasting my own coffee beans on days off. I’m also quite a keen (if a little slow…) runner and training towards a half marathon.

Dream dinner party – who would you invite, what would you cook?

Probably just my group of friends to be honest – it’s not often we get the time to all be in a room together! And I’d cook a large spread of Mediterranean dishes (probably from the Ottolenghi books) with a couple of sourdough loaves on the side.

First published January 2023