November 13, 2026
After 27 years of teaching, performing and advocating for the trombone at The University of Texas at Austin, Nathaniel Brickens, the Mary D. Bold Regents Professor of Trombone, has announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2026–27 academic year.
Brickens' path to a career in music began in an unexpected place: a high school lunch break in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he grew up. It was there that he heard a substitute teacher playing the trombone. The experience sparked his interest in pursuing music professionally, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to a distinguished career as a performer and educator. Remarkably, despite that early inspiration, Brickens did not receive his first one-on-one trombone lesson until he began college.
Decades later, he has become one of the most influential trombone educators in the country. Since joining the Butler School of Music, Brickens has built one of the nation's leading trombone studios, helping shape the next generation of professional musicians through his performances, professional leadership and dedication to teaching.
Nathaniel Brickens with the Trombone Choir before embarking on a European tour in 2012.
Brickens says the decision to retire came with a desire to leave while he could still make a meaningful contribution. "I wanted to retire when I was still an asset and not a liability," he said.
During his tenure, Brickens has also witnessed the growth of the Butler School of Music, which he says has expanded in both its size and artistic excellence. "Butler has grown in both quality and quantity," he said.
For Brickens, an important part of building that excellence has been ensuring students have opportunities to experience music beyond the classroom. He made a point of taking students on the road to perform, learn and encounter the broader musical world, while also bringing distinguished performers and educators to Austin.
"I thought it was really important to travel a lot with the students and bring world-class artists onto campus," he said.
While Brickens takes his music and teaching seriously, he has never believed that a love of music should come at the expense of having fun. That spirit was on full display recently when the Butler Trombone Choir presented a Halloween concert, with Brickens and his students taking the stage in elaborate costumes. The performance offered a glimpse of the camaraderie and sense of fun that have been part of his studio, showing that musical excellence and a playful spirit can go hand in hand.
Perhaps nowhere is Brickens' influence more evident than in the careers of his former students. Graduates of his studio have gone on to hold positions in some of the nation's most prestigious orchestras and ensembles, establish innovative chamber music groups, join the faculties of colleges and universities, and inspire young musicians through K-12 music education. Their work represents a lasting extension of the musical community he cultivated at in Austin.
Click on a pin to see where some of Nathaniel Brickens' former students are now.
Brickens' commitment to teaching has earned recognition at both the national level and throughout the University of Texas System. His honors include the International Trombone Association's Neill Humfeld Award for Excellence in Trombone Teaching, the University of Texas System Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award, the College of Fine Arts Distinguished Teaching Award, a Dad's Association Centennial Teaching Fellowship, and a Texas Exes Excellence in Teaching Award.
Nathaniel Brickens reflects on his career and his upcoming retirement.