Tony Wise vividly recalls the day he picked the trombone as the musical instrument he would play.  

Growing up in a musical and artistic household in Pennsylvania, Wise was exposed to music early on. As his father was a trumpet player, Wise knew he wouldn't select that instrument. Then one day during an assembly designed to introduce students to instruments, he heard the trombone.  

“It’s a little bit bigger and it’s got the slide,” Wise. “The guy starts playing and everybody in the gym turns around to look at the back of the gym and he plays the lowest note and then goes higher making it sound like a plane taking off. I was like this is so cool, this is the one I have to play.”  

It was the beginning of what would become 20 years of playing for top-tier orchestras, and eventually leading music organizations including the Glacier Symphony Orchestra and Chorale which he joined this winter as executive director. He previously held the same position with the York Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania.  

Finding success with the trombone primarily with motivation through competitions, Wise earned a coveted spot at the Curtis Institute of Music after graduating from high school.  

“The band teacher in elementary school had a chart showing who was practicing the most and my dad was always telling me to practice,” Wise said, noting his dad was a band teacher. “I went to music camps at West Virginia University and that was a big deal.”  

During his college career, Wise studied under Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Trombonist Nitzan Haroz, who suggested Wise audition with the Israel Philharmonic which at the time had an opening for a trombone player. After a series of auditions Wise landed a spot with Israel Philharmonic where he played for a year before returning to Curtis to finish school.  

“I wanted to finish my degree,” he said. “As a kid and maybe my parents voice in the back of my head it was important to have that piece of paper.”  

His time at Curtis created connections that he still relies on today, and during his time at the school he performed at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York and had the opportunity to play while touring through Europe.  

He performed full-time with the Philharmonic Orchestra. During his time in Philadelphia, he also began working at The Capital Grille, a fine dining and steakhouse chain.  

“I had developed this other passion which was for wine and high-end food. I really liked high-end dining experiences but could only afford to maybe go once per year,” he said. “So, I went there and said I’ll take any job you’ve got.”  

Wise began working his way up learning about wine and making connections with the restaurant guests who were the same people attending the symphony performances where he was playing. Eventually he would travel around the U.S. with teams of people setting up Capitol Grill restaurants in other cities.  

Wise spent time in New York and then learned of an opening that led him to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Then he spent several years with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra but chose to return to the States because he wanted to teach.  

Wise founded the Austin Summer Brass Academy, which was an instrument-specific workshop for middle and high school students in Texas.  

“I knew that I had made enough connections over the years with guest artists and other people playing in orchestras that I knew the students would benefit from,” he said. “That’s a passion of mine is to work with students because it’s how I got into it as a kid — an adult showed me what it was all about.” 

The Covid-19 pandemic forced the academy to go online, but Wise said it didn’t offer the same experience for students, so it was eventually forced to close. Looking for his next opportunity, he found an opening with the York Symphony Orchestra. 

Back in Pennsylvania, he piloted the orchestra through an extensive strategic planning process and developed education and community engagement initiatives.  

Looking to be closer to his sister and nephew in Seattle, Wise applied for the job at Glacier Symphony knowing the organization is similar to the York Symphony. He’s excited to experience a full season with the Glacier Symphony and is looking at ways to increase educational initiatives and bring orchestral and chamber music into the community.  

Having a home at McClaren Hall at the Wachholz College Center at Flathead Valley Community College is immensely valuable for the orchestra, but Wise says in the past because the orchestra performed at different venues in the Flathead Valley it provided more opportunity for some attendees to hear a performance.  

“I think in our strategic plan we need to build in how we have a performance in Columbia Falls and how do we have a concert in Bigfork, whether that’s the full orchestra, or eight members playing something in a park for a free concert,” he said. “That’s one of the challenges is staying connected to the community.” 

Bringing back Festival Amadeus, a classical music musical festival that included a youth music camp, is also on the list of considerations. Harkening to some of the initiatives he created in York, Wise sees an opportunity to expose youngsters to music through library programs that bring in instruments during story time and concerts that invite young people in to listen and talk with guest artists.  

“We’re coming up to our 50th anniversary in 2032 and to me that’s great that the orchestra has been around so long,” he said of Glacier Symphony. “Maybe it will take until our 50th anniversary to get all those things to roll out, but I’m committed to doing it.”  

Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or [email protected].