Alison Balsom
Encyclopedia
Alison Louise Balsom is an English
trumpet
soloist.
. She attended the Tannery Drift Primary School, then the Greneway Middle School and the Meridian School
, all in Royston, Hertfordshire
. She took her A levels
at the Hills Road Sixth Form College
in Cambridge
.
She played in her local brass band, the Royston Town Band
.
She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
, the Conservatoire de Paris
, and also with Håkan Hardenberger
.
, and she released her debut album with EMI Classics
in 2002. In 2005, she released her second disc, "Bach Works for Trumpet" as part of a contract with EMI Classics. In 2006, Alison won 'Young British Classical Performer' at the 2006 Classical BRIT Awards
and was awarded the 'Classic FM Listeners' Choice Award' at the Classic FM
Gramophone Awards. She won 'Female Artist of the Year' at the 2009 Classical BRIT Awards. Her third album (the second disc in the EMI contract), "Caprice" was released in September 2006 and was awarded 'Solo CD of the Year 2006' by Brass Band World magazine. Alison was a soloist at the 2009 Last Night of the Proms, performing, among other pieces, Haydn's Trumpet Concerto
with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and a jazz oriented arrangement of George Gershwin
's "They Can't Take That Away from Me
" with mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly
.
Balsom was the principal trumpet of the London Chamber Orchestra
. Her main trumpet is a Malone-converted Bach C Trumpet.
. From 2009 to early 2011 she dated British conductor Edward Gardner
; in spring 2010 they had a baby boy named Charlie.
The BBC Music Magazine cover disc for December 2010 has: Haydn & Hummel concertos (not the 2008 EMI recordings); Albinoni's Oboe Concerto Op. 9 No. 2, transcribed for trumpet; and Vivaldi's Violin Concerto Op. 3 No. 9, arranged for trumpet and instrumental trio.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
soloist.
Early life
Balsom was born in HertfordshireHertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. She attended the Tannery Drift Primary School, then the Greneway Middle School and the Meridian School
Meridian School (Hertfordshire)
The Meridian School is a secondary school located in Royston, Hertfordshire, England. It is a special school and a Mathematics and Computing College. It has approximately 650 registered students - 150 of these are in the Sixth Form. The school features an all weather pitch which is used by the...
, all in Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston is a town and civil parish in the District of North Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England.It is situated on the Greenwich Meridian, which brushes the towns western boundary, and at the northernmost apex of the county on the same latitude of towns such as Milton Keynes and...
. She took her A levels
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
at the Hills Road Sixth Form College
Hills Road Sixth Form College
Hills Road Sixth Form College is a state funded co-educational sixth form college in Cambridge, England, providing full-time AS and A-level courses for approximately 1,800 sixth form students from the surrounding area and a wide variety of courses to around 4,000 part-time students of all ages in...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
She played in her local brass band, the Royston Town Band
Royston Town Band
- Royston Town Band :Royston Town Band is a brass band founded in the mid-19th century in Royston, England as the Royston Volunteer Band. At a time when the population of Royston was less than 3,000, such an organisation was regarded as an integral part of local life...
.
She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
, the Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
, and also with Håkan Hardenberger
Håkan Hardenberger
Håkan Hardenberger is a Swedish trumpeter. Taking up the trumpet at the age of eight under the guidance of hometown teacher Bo Nilsson, Hardenberger pursued further studies at the Paris Conservatoire, with Pierre Thibaud, and in Los Angeles with Thomas Stevens...
.
Career
Balsom has been a professional classical trumpeter since 2001. She is a former BBC Radio 3 New Generation ArtistBBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme
BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme was devised by BBC Radio 3 Editor Adam Gatehouse and launched in 1999. It exists as part of the BBC's commitment to nurture young musical talent. Every autumn six to seven young artists who are beginning to make a mark on the national and international...
, and she released her debut album with EMI Classics
EMI Classics
EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases....
in 2002. In 2005, she released her second disc, "Bach Works for Trumpet" as part of a contract with EMI Classics. In 2006, Alison won 'Young British Classical Performer' at the 2006 Classical BRIT Awards
Classical Brit Awards
The Classic BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's BRIT Awards....
and was awarded the 'Classic FM Listeners' Choice Award' at the Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
Gramophone Awards. She won 'Female Artist of the Year' at the 2009 Classical BRIT Awards. Her third album (the second disc in the EMI contract), "Caprice" was released in September 2006 and was awarded 'Solo CD of the Year 2006' by Brass Band World magazine. Alison was a soloist at the 2009 Last Night of the Proms, performing, among other pieces, Haydn's Trumpet Concerto
Trumpet Concerto (Haydn)
Joseph Haydn's Concerto per il Clarino, Hob.: VII e, 1 was written in 1796, when he was 64 years old, for his long time friend Anton Weidinger.-Original instrument:...
with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and a jazz oriented arrangement of George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's "They Can't Take That Away from Me
They Can't Take That Away from Me
"They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a 1937 song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film Shall We Dance....
" with mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly
Sarah Connolly
Sarah Patricia Connolly CBE is an English mezzo-soprano.Sarah Connolly was educated at Queen Margaret's School, York and then studied piano and singing at the Royal College of Music, of which she is now a Fellow...
.
Balsom was the principal trumpet of the London Chamber Orchestra
London Chamber Orchestra
The London Chamber Orchestra ' is the longest established professional chamber orchestra in the UK. Based in London, LCO has a residency at St John's Smith Square in Westminster.-History:...
. Her main trumpet is a Malone-converted Bach C Trumpet.
Professorship
She is a Visiting Professor of Trumpet at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.Personal life
Aside from music, Balsom has a keen interest in yachtingYachting
Yachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...
. From 2009 to early 2011 she dated British conductor Edward Gardner
Edward Gardner (conductor)
Edward Gardner is a British conductor.Gardner sang as a chorister at Gloucester Cathedral. As a youth, he played piano, clarinet and organ. He attended the King's School, Gloucester and Eton College. At the University of Cambridge, he continued as a music student, and was a choral scholar in...
; in spring 2010 they had a baby boy named Charlie.
Discography
- Alison Balsom: Music for Trumpet and Organ (EMI Classics Debut, 2002)
- Alison Balsom & Crispian Steele-Perkins: The Fam'd Italian Masters (HyperionHyperion RecordsHyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
, 2003) - Alison Balsom: Bach works for Trumpet (EMI Classics, 2005)
- Alison Balsom: Caprice (EMI Classics, 2006)
- Alison Balsom: Haydn and Hummel Trumpet Concertos (EMI Classics, 2008)
- Alison Balsom: Italian Concertos (EMI ClassicsEMI ClassicsEMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases....
, 2010)
The BBC Music Magazine cover disc for December 2010 has: Haydn & Hummel concertos (not the 2008 EMI recordings); Albinoni's Oboe Concerto Op. 9 No. 2, transcribed for trumpet; and Vivaldi's Violin Concerto Op. 3 No. 9, arranged for trumpet and instrumental trio.
Awards
- Best Female Artist, Classical BRIT AwardsClassical Brit AwardsThe Classic BRIT Awards are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of classical music, and are the classical equivalent of pop music's BRIT Awards....
, 2009, 2011 - Classic FM Listeners' Choice Award, Classic FMClassic FM (UK)Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
Gramophone AwardGramophone AwardThe Gramophone Awards are one of the most significant honours bestowed on recordings in the classical record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for classical music. The winners are selected annually by critics for the Gramophone magazine and various members of the industry, including...
2006 - Young British Performer, Classical BRIT Awards, 2006
- Feeling Musique Prize for quality of sound in the 4th Maurice AndréMaurice AndréMaurice André is a French trumpeter, active in the classical music field.-Biography:He is a classical virtuoso trumpeter, born in Alès, France in the Cévennes into a mining family. His father was an amateur musician....
International Trumpet Competition. - Concerto finalist in the BBC Young Musicians Competition, 1998
External links
- Alison Balsom Official website
- Alison Balsom recordings on EMI Classics
- Caprice album microsite
- Haydn & Hummel album microsite
- Alison Balsom on MySpace
- Alison Balsom Masterclass
- The trumpeter shaking up the classical music world (BBC interview)