Alison Balsom
Jasper Parrott
Jakub Watrobski
Described as “…simply divine” by Sunday Telegraph, Alison Balsom’s life in music has been much more than as a virtuoso and ambassador for her instrument. Her outstanding talent and approach to trumpet repertoire have been critically acclaimed, and she has engaged herself more widely in creating new formats and pathways for her creative life. Alison Balsom has performed with some of the greatest conductors and orchestras of our time including Pierre Boulez, Lorin Maazel, Sir Roger Norrington, Trevor Pinnock, Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco and Toronto Symphony orchestras, New York and London Philharmonic orchestras, Britten Sinfonia, the Academy of Ancient Music, Scottish Ensemble, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, The English Concert, where she has been a trustee since 2020, as well as The Balsom Ensemble, a handpicked group of leading Baroque soloists.
Alison has recorded exclusively with EMI Classics (now Warner Classics) since 2001. Her next album (her sixteenth with the label) will be the hotly anticipated Baroque Concertos album with Trevor Pinnock, and will be recorded in January 2024. Alison is a three-time recipient of Germany’s Echo Klassik Award and three Classic BRIT awards — two of which as Female Artist of the Year. Alison was named Gramophone Artist of the Year 2013 and has received a Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Award.
Alison conceived and then became creative producer and protagonist of the critically acclaimed production Gabriel at Shakespeare’s Globe in London in 2013. This project was revived in concert at the Barbican in October 2019 as part of her 2022 residency at Milton Court.
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During her time as Artistic Director of Cheltenham Music Festival in 2018 and 2019, Alison brought together London Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Academy of Ancient Music with soloists Nicola Benedetti, Jess Gillam and Danielle de Niese; she commissioned twenty new works to celebrate the Festival’s 75th anniversary and founded the contemporary music symposium — Composium.
Alison commissioned and gave the Premiere of Thea Musgrave’s Trumpet Concerto at Cheltenham Music Festival, and its US premiere with Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 2021. Constantly exploring the boundaries of her instrument, she has had numerous concertos written for her including World Premieres of Thea Musgrave’s Trumpet Concerto, Qigang-Chen’s Joie Eternelle and Guy Barker’s Lanterne of Light at the BBC Proms, and in Spring 2024 will give the UK and German Premieres of Wynton Marsalis’ Trumpet Concerto with Sir Antonio Pappano and London Symphony Orchestra and Sweden premiere with Cristian Măcelaru and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Alison was the first brass player to be selected by the prestigious BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme, and gave regular performances with all of the BBC Orchestras. In 2009 she was the soloist at the Last Night of the BBC Proms. She studied at the Paris Conservatoire, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She is now an honorary Fellow and visiting Professor at the Guildhall, and has received honorary doctorates from The University of York, Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Leicester. Alison has taught masterclasses worldwide, including at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute.
Alison has given a TED talk, entitled ‘Music as a Healer’ and a lecture at Somerville College, Oxford University on ‘Women in the Arts’. Alison is a passionate advocate of the importance of music education and is an ambassador for the BBC Ten Pieces project.
Alison was awarded an OBE for Services to Music in the Queens 90th Birthday honours (2016). Alison was a guest on the renowned BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs presented by Kirsty Young in 2015.
“Above it all soars that music, played with exquisite eloquence”
“Balsom is simply divine”
“She is an astonishing virtuosa”