Resonate

Megumi Kanda, principal trombone of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, begins a weekend of solo performances with the symphony on Thursday night. She will perform Ferdinand David’s “Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 4,” on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of a program that also includes “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas.

Kanda is one of a few female trombonists to ever perform solo with one of America’s top orchestras. In fact, she may be only the second woman to ever do so. (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Rebecca Cherian has performed around the world.)

First of all, it is rare for an orchestra to program a piece for trombone soloist. For whatever reason it is much more common to invite a trumpet or French horn soloist to perform with a symphony. Secondly, Kanda is one of only a handful of women in full-time brass positions in the country, excluding French horn players.

A native of Tokyo, Japan, Kanda moved to the United States in 1994 to attend the Cleveland Institute of Music. She joined the Milwaukee Symphony in 2002 and has released three solo albums.