James Albrecht, a native of Valley City, Ohio, has been acting utility trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony since 2006. Mr. Albrecht began his undergraduate work at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and completed his bachelor of music degree at the Manhattan School of Music. He also holds a master of music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. After his studies, Mr. Albrecht was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami, FL from 2004-2007 under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He has also performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, the Memphis Symphony, the Charleston Symphony, the Florida West Coast Symphony, and many regional orchestras around the country. In the summer, Mr. Albrecht has attended various music festivals such as the Spoleto USA Festival, the Music Academy of the West, and the Pacific Music Festival under Charles Dutoit in Japan. Mr. Albrecht's teachers have included Peter Sullivan, Tony Chipurn, Richard Stout, Mark Lawrence, David Finlayson, and Edward Zadrozny.