Billy R. Hunter, Jr.

A native of Austin, Texas, Billy Hunter, Jr. has been principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 2004. He enjoys a versatile career of orchestral, chamber, and solo performances, and educational and outreach initiatives. He is a former member of the Grammy-nominated Grant Park Orchestra in Chicago.

Mr. Hunter has appeared as guest principal trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic in Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt Radio Symphony in Germany, Chineke! Orchestra in London, and others, and performed with the New York Philharmonic and New Jersey, Dallas, and Boston symphonies. He has performed chamber music with the MET Chamber Ensemble, Classical Tahoe Chamber Orchestra, Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, and the Music Kitchen concert series—free lunchtime performances for homeless shelters across lower Manhattan.

Mr. Hunter has performed as soloist with Chattanooga Symphony, New World Symphony, Seraphic Fire, Firebird Chamber Orchestra, Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival. Mr. Hunter has won two Grammy Awards for MET Opera performances of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic and Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

Mr. Hunter has led classes internationally, including at Curtis, Juilliard, and UT Austin. He is currently on faculty at the Peabody Institute, NJCU, and Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Hunter’s teachers were Raymond Crisara of the MET Opera, Raymond Mase of the American Brass Quintet, and Mark Gould of the MET Opera.