Denis Wick Products - a British Success Story
The Times, one of Britain's most respected newspapers, reported in its Business Section on June 16th, 2016 under the headline 'Striking the right note means concentrating on quality':
The best of British brass is booming. World-famous names such as Denis Wick Products, the mouthpiece and mute maker, are combining traditional craftsmanship and new technology to increase sales and - ironically, given the dominance of foreign brands being played by Britain's children - boost exports.
In the world of music there are many small family companies that started because a musician wanted to make a product which gave better musical results than anything that was currently available. This was the case with Denis Wick. He started making mutes and mouthpieces for brass instruments in 1968 in order to fulfil the needs of himself and his colleagues in the London Symphony Orchestra. At the time it was difficult to find mutes that played in tune and mouthpieces which created the right tonal qualities to cope with the notoriously difficult acoustics of London's Royal Festival Hall.
From these small beginnings the company that he founded has grown to become one of the leading makers of brass instrument accessories in the world. The mutes that he designed are loved by brass players and bring a huge palette of different colours to any brass section. His mouthpieces have set new standards for tone, comfort and intonation and have become a vital part of every brass player's equipment.
The Denis Wick factory in Hamworthy, Dorset employs skilled technicians and craftsmen to create these carefully designed accessories. Through a global system of distributors and dealers these items are sold to musicians across the globe. They can be found in orchestras, jazz groups, high school bands, British-style brass bands and military bands in every corner of the world. Their reach is truly universal. The sound of British brass-playing is much admired and much emulated throughout the world. Denis Wick mutes and mouthpieces have helped create this distinctive timbre, and have come to represent an important part of our musical heritage.
The company won the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2013. This accolade is one of Britain's most coveted business awards, and offers recognition for some of the UK's most successful companies, both large and small. It is a reflection of the success that Denis Wick Products has achieved all over the world with its best-selling accessories for brass instrument.
One of our leading composers played a decisive role in the design of one of the company's most popular mutes. Denis Wick played various prototypes of the trombone mute to Benjamin Britten, and the one that Britten chose is still manufactured today. Few manufacturers can boast of the seal of approval of a famed composer and master orchestrator such as Britten.
Denis Wick Products is a British success story and continues to export and innovate, flourishing in the highly competitive world of the music trade.
The People Behind the Brand
Founder - Denis Wick 25th June 1931 – 12th February 2025
Denis Wick was the founder of the company that bears his name. He had an international reputation as trombonist, brass teacher and conductor. He is chiefly famous for his stellar work in the LSO from 1957 until 1988 which established new standards of trombone performance. As well as his symphonic playing he influenced a whole generation of trombone players with his contribution to famous film soundtracks including The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Superman amongst many others. These movie scores showed his brilliantly clear and forthright playing at its most inspiring.
Despite the demanding schedule of the LSO, Denis was a member of the London Sinfonietta and, for a short period, the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. In addition, he has made many appearances as a soloist. He has had concertos written for him by several British composers; among them, Gordon Jacob, Buxton Orr and Alun Hoddinott.
His conducting work began at the Guildhall School in the 1960s and was centred on brass and wind ensembles. It also included for many years an excellent youth symphony orchestra which has bred generations of professional players. His own London Wind Orchestra made prize-winning recordings in the 1970s, which have set new standards of excellence for this kind of ensemble.
Denis was much-loved and respected as a great teacher, and was involved in music education for many years; having been appointed professor of trombone at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1967, he taught there regularly until 1976, continuing to work as a consultant professor and conductor since that time. He also taught at the Royal Academy of Music well into his seventies, and proved to be a great teacher for many of the current generation of successful trombonists. His intensely musical yet very practical approach to teaching is widely respected.
Denis Wick founded a publishing company, Denis Wick Publishing, which specialises in wind band and brass ensemble repertoire, and is represented now by Carpe Diem Musikverlag. His textbook, Trombone Technique, is used worldwide as the most important publication of its kind, with translations available in Japanese, German, Swedish and Italian. Denis Wick is perhaps best known for his line of brass instrument mouthpieces and mutes.
In 1989, he received the ITA Award and in 1990 was elected Second Vice President in charge of international affairs. From 1992 to 1995 he served as president of the British Trombone Society. He was President of the International Trombone Association from 2004 to 2006 and presided over the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham, England in 2006. He was awarded a fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music in 2002.
Denis passed away in February 2025 at the age of 93.
Chairman of the Board - Stephen Wick
Stephen Wick is a tuba player, conductor, and teacher. He is principal tuba of the City of London Sinfonia, a position that he has held for 45 years. As a studio musician he has played for Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Björk and many others. He has played with all the great London orchestras and on hundreds of soundtracks for films, TV and advertisements. His film work includes many major pictures such as Star Wars, Alien, Batman, Rambo, Gladiator, and some of the James Bond and Pink Panther films.
He was a member of the Oslo Philharmonic, and has since appeared with leading orchestras from Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, Milan, Helsinki and Amsterdam.
He has made a special study of the precursors of the tuba, including the serpent and the ophicleide, and has appeared with many period instrument orchestras including Les Arts Florissants, Orchestre des Champs Élysées, Orchestre Revolutionairre et Romantique, Freiburger Barockorchester, Anima Eterna, {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna and the Academy of Ancient Music.
In the field of jazz he has played in bands lead by Kenny Wheeler, Mike Gibbs, Bobby Lamb/Ray Premru, John Dankworth and Mel Tormé. In addition he has worked for great arrangers such as Marty Paich, Tutti Camarata, Vince Mendoza, Nelson Riddle, Henry Mancini and Lalo Shifrin.
He taught at the Royal Academy of Music and the Purcell School for many years, and he sits on the board of the MIA and is also a regular delegate to CAFIM. He was awarded an ARAM by the Royal Academy of Music in 2013.
CEO - Steve Greenall
Steven began playing Denis Wick mouthpieces and mutes as a nine year old trombonist subsequently gaining over twenty-five years experience working in the music industry. At Denis’ request, he joined the board of Denis Wick Products in 2021 and was appointed their Chief Executive Officer in 2022, alongside his role as CEO for pBone Music.
With degrees in Electrical Engineering and a MA in European Cultural Policy & Administration from the University of Warwick, where he now serves as a Course Tutor on their MA in Creative and Media Enterprises, Steven served as Executive Director of a non-profit international music association based in the United States from 2000 – 2007. Joining the Advantage Creative Fund in 2007 as manager of their small investment portfolio for the creative sector, Steven then worked as an investment director and entrepreneur-in-residence at Midven, the Midlands leading early-stage venture capital fund manager, from 2010 until 2015 qualifying as an Associate of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.
Alongside supporting entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, Steven is founder and CEO of pBone Music (Warwick Music Ltd). Based in North Warwickshire and employing fifteen people worldwide, the company provides strategic partnership to schools and music education organisations globally and manufactures musical instruments such as the world's first plastic trombone, pBone, which has sold over 250,000 units worldwide. pBone Music received the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 also exports to 53 countries, and is recognised by the HM Government's Department for Business and Trade as an 'Export Champion'.
He was elected as a board director for the UK music industry trade body (Music Industries Association) in 2019 becoming its chair in 2020 until 2024 and is frequently interviewed or invited to present guest lectures on cultural entrepreneurship, music education and the future of the music industry. In 2024, Steven joined the Board of Trustees for Music Mark, the membership organisation, Subject Association, and an Arts Council England Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) advocating for excellent musical learning in and out of school.
Revamped Team at Denis Wick Products
Denis Wick Products is delighted to announce a number of new appointments within this established British mouthpiece, mute and accessories manufacturer.
Stephen Wick has become Chair of the company whilst Steven Greenall, who joined the Denis Wick Board in December last year now becomes the Chief Executive as well as being a shareholder. Steven is no stranger to the music industry having had much success as the Founder and CEO of Warwick Music Group, a post he will retain.
In the area of marketing, Mary Galime becomes the Director of US / Canada Marketing with responsibilities for the Americas and over 60 Denis Wick Artists, whilst Dr Brett Baker will lead marketing in the UK and Rest of the World including working with over 100 Artists. The marketing team is further enhanced with Cheryl Hall who continues to head up social media for the Denis Wick brand whilst Brontë Askwith joins to lead social media for the Alliance Mouthpiece brand.
Jack Spencer becomes the new Customer Service Manager supported by Jonty Hines, Director of UK Sales and Operations at Warwick Music Group, who will be managing the Denis Wick retailer accounts in the UK.
In the manufacturing facility in Poole, Brian Miller retires after 17 years' dedicated service at the company and Phill Abraham has become the new Director of Manufacturing with extensive experience in manufacturing and supply chain. Finally, Amanda Miller becomes the Director of Operations.
Steven Greenall commented, "I am very excited about this new chapter at Denis Wick and the talented and highly-respected team we've put in place to lead this iconic British manufacturer across all areas of the business."
Stephen Wick added, "Denis Wick Products has for over fifty years developed and manufactured the highest quality of mutes and mouthpieces in the United Kingdom. We are delighted that Steven's appointment as CEO further demonstrates our commitment to remain a British company and the board are excited by the high calibre team he has recruited in just a few weeks."
Denis Wick Products launches UK Young Ambassador Programme with new Brass Trio
In collaboration with the Denis Wick Marketing team, the mouthpiece and mute manufacturer has launched a programme to help develop three young enthusiastic players within the brass playing movement. These young artists will gain industry and professional experience by working closely with the Denis Wick marketing team as well as enjoying regular coaching and assistance by Denis Wick artists Sheona Wade, Richard Marshall and Matthew Routley.
Denis Wick received expressions of interest separately from three individuals who all have played in the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. Alice Clarke the solo horn of the Wingates Brass Band, Ben Burke a Bb Bass player with Blackburn and Darwin Band and the 2nd Rossendale Scout Band (conducted by Graham Helm) and Oliver Tattershall who plays cornet with the Whitworth and Healey Brass Band and also with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. Stay tuned for exciting updates and new content surrounding these first Denis Wick Young Ambassadors.
Brett Baker the Marketing Lead for Denis Wick stated "this is purely experimental at present, but I am keen to support these bright young players that are passionate about the Denis Wick Brand and use their incite to form future artist projects and campaigns".
Denis Wick Products - part of the change for a better future
Denis Wick Products is committed to sustainable development and good governance.
Energy
A large part of our power comes from our solar panels installed on our factory roof. These generate electricity which can be utilised with barely any loss in transmission on the factory floor. The electricity generated on sunny evenings and at weekends, which can't be used for powering our CNC machines and lathes, is fed to the National Grid. Since the installation of the panels we have saved 28,294 kg of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of planting 1,295.18 trees. Recently we generated over 4MWh in a single month. Denis Wick is proud to be part of the effort to reduce global warming!
Waste handling
Most of our waste material is recycled. We return all our scrap aluminium from our mute production and the swarf from our mouthpiece production to the foundries where it is melted down and recycled to be used again.
Sustainable environment
The birch wood that we use in our woodworking studio is all sourced from certificated sustainable forests in Finland. Birch trees play a vital part in the biodiversity of northern forests and help promote the growth of many species including fungi, insects, birdlife and herbivores. The wood is beautiful and perfect for making our famous wooden mutes.
Employee profit sharing
We operate a profit sharing scheme so that every employee receives annually a share of that year's profits. We have a very loyal and dedicated workforce who help produce a world beating product. Their expertise include craft-based skills, which take years to perfect, and the high-tech knowledge needed to programme the large CNC machines that are used in mouthpiece production.
Mentoring young artists
Denis Wick Products supports and mentors many young artists. One of the groups that we support is Slide Action, a trombone quartet of Royal Academy of Music graduates who went on to win the prestigious International Trombone Association (ITA) Trombone Quartet Competition.
Diversity
Denis Wick Products is committed to diversity and supports a wide range of artists from all over the world. We are especially proud to support many excellent female artists in a profession where women are still very underrepresented.
We are proud to be supporting all those who bring the gift of music to communities around the world. We believe that music has the power to bring all people together, regardless of their race or religion.
We believe in the importance of combating racism and of helping to create a truly inclusive and diverse musical community. We support the empowerment of black, Asian and ethnically diverse musicians to realise their aspirations.
The Importance of Sustainability
In a world where many products, even musical instruments, are designed to be very cheap and to last for only a short time, Denis Wick leads the way in producing high quality accessories that are used for decades. They are made by skilled artisans and from the finest materials. Musicians invest in our mouthpieces and enjoy playing them year after year. We know of many musicians who have used our mouthpieces and mutes for all their careers, from being students until retirement. Our products are not designed to be used briefly and thrown away. We think that producing a high quality product that will get many years of use is much better than competing to make a cheap product that fails to satisfy the musician and is soon discarded.
Recruitment and Training
We are always looking to recruit young people to become part of our workforce and offer in-house training to help them develop the skills needed to make our products, which are played all over the world by leading musicians.
Investment for a Highly Productive Future
As well as investing in human talent, we also invest in state-of-the-art machinery in order to create an efficient and safe workplace. We have modern CNC machines that can produce mouthpieces with incredible exactness, and we check accuracy using the latest touch-probe CMM precision measurement equipment. We use an automatic polishing process that has been especially adapted by our engineers for our specific needs. So as well as encouraging craft-based skills within the factory, we also use the most modern computer-controlled equipment to ensure that we will be competitive in the years to come and to ensure a clean and safe working environment.
