MEET THE ORCHESTRA

Ben Dettelback is currently Principal Trombone of The Syracuse Orchestra as well as Trombone Faculty at the Syracuse University Setnor School of Music and Binghamton University. Ben served as Principal Trombone of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra (Ithaca, NY) from 2018-2024 and has performed with groups such as the Buffalo Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic/Oratorio Society, Skaneateles Festival, West Point Band, Princeton Symphony, and American Institute of Musical Study in Graz, Austria.
Ben has appeared twice as soloist with The Syracuse Orchestra, performing Tan Dun’s Trombone Concerto “Three Muses in Video Games” on the 2025-26 Masterworks Series and the final movement of L. Grondahl’s Trombone Concerto on the 2022-23 Casual Series. Ben can be heard alongside Brad Kerns, David Seder, and Clint Woltering on the 2024 trombone quartet album titled “Goldberg Variations, BMW 988” as well as the 2020 Naxos American Classics recording “Bernstein Songfest” with the National Orchestral Institute and James Judd. He was also named a finalist in the 2018 International Trombone Associations Alto Trombone Competition.
In addition to his teaching duties at Setnor, Ben is the founder and director of the Setnor Slides Trombone Ensemble and has presented masterclasses at Ithaca College, Binghamton University, Colgate University, University of Kentucky, and Onondaga Community College. Ben also served on the orchestral faculty of the 2023 Varna International Music Academy.
Ben received a Bachelor of Music and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music followed by a Master of Music from Yale University where he studied with Larry Zalkind and Scott Hartman respectively. Ben is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts back at Eastman.
When not playing trombone, Ben can be found hanging out with his orange cat, Kimchi.