Blake Hinson, assistant principal bass of the New York Philharmonic since 2016 and a section member since 2012, maintains a dynamic career as a performer, recording artist, and educator based in New York City. Prior to his arrival in New York, Mr. Hinson served as Principal Bass of the Grand Rapids Symphony.

Beyond his work with the Philharmonic, Mr. Hinson has been a member of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center (formerly the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra) and Gerard Schwarz’s All-Stars Orchestra during their 2022 and 2023 seasons. His playing can be heard on the soundtracks of major motion pictures, including Steven Spielberg’s  West Side Story  (2021),  In the Heights, and  Don’t Worry Darling.

An active chamber musician, Mr. Hinson performs regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Philharmonic’s Merkin Hall Chamber Music series, and has appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach.

A dedicated educator, Mr. Hinson joined the college and pre-college faculty at the Manhattan School of Music in 2024. He previously served on the double bass faculty at Stony Brook University from 2016 through 2023.  He has given masterclasses at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, the Royal Conservatory of Music, Bard Conservatory, the Hartt School of Music, and NYU, and serves as a regular coach for the New York Youth Symphony. 

Mr. Hinson received his Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Edgar Meyer and Hal Robinson. He lives in New York with his wife and daughter, and during his time away from the concert hall and classroom, he is an avid reader and outdoorsman.