Preman Tilson

Bassoon | Principal

Preman Tilson was appointed to the bassoon section of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in 2005, and became Principal Bassoon in 2019. He also works regularly with the Chicago Philharmonic and Music of the Baroque, and is co-director of The Lyric Ensemble, a wind/string chamber group featuring players of the Lyric orchestra .

Preman was Principal Bassoon with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra from 1993 until 2007. He was a soloist with the orchestra several times, including during the NZSO's visit to the World Expo in Aichi, Japan. He toured New Zealand extensively in 2006 with the chamber group Divertissement, for which Anthony Ritchie was commissioned by Chamber Music New Zealand to compose "Rites of Passage" for bassoon and string quintet. Also commissioned for him was "Winterlight" for bassoon and orchestra by Martin Lodge, which he premiered with the NZSO. He recorded the Elgar Romance for bassoon and orchestra with the NZSO on the Naxos label.

“Being a member of the Lyric Opera Orchestra has been a dream come true for me, and it never ceases to be a thrill to be part of a team creating world-class opera at the highest possible level. Lyric is a precious asset to the Chicago arts world, and our goal is to always improve the quality of our company and bring our audience an unforgettable artistic experience.”

Before coming to New Zealand, Preman held positions with the Grant Park Festival Orchestra (Chicago), the Memphis Symphony and the Arizona Opera Company. He has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and as guest principal with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He attended the Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood, as well as conservatories in New York, Boston and Arizona. He received a Master's Degree in Music and studied under Arthur Weisberg and Sol Schoenbach.