Alison Balsom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alison Balsom
|
|
|---|---|
Balsom recording at Abbey Road in 2013
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alison Louise Balsom |
| Born | 7 October 1978 Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, educator |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels |
|
Alison Balsom is a famous English trumpet player, arranger, producer, and music teacher. She was born on 7 October 1978. Alison has won many important awards, like Artist of the Year at the 2013 Gramophone Awards. She has also won three Classic BRIT Awards and three German Echo Awards. In 2009, she was a main performer at the BBC Last Night of the Proms, which is a very big music event. She also helped lead the 2019 Cheltenham Music Festival.
Contents
Early Life and Learning Music
Alison Balsom was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England. She started playing the trumpet when she was just seven years old. She played in the Royston Town Band from age 8 to 15.
Later, she joined the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain when she was 15. She studied music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She finished her studies in 2001 with top honors. Alison also learned music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and in Paris, France.
Her Music Career
Alison Balsom became a professional trumpet player in 2001. She was chosen as a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. This meant she got to perform many big trumpet concertos with BBC Orchestras. Her first album came out in 2002.
In 2005, she released her second album, Bach Works for Trumpet. She won 'Young British Classical Performer' at the Classical BRIT Awards in 2006. She also won 'Female Artist of the Year' in 2009 and 2011.
Her album Italian Concertos was named one of the best albums of the year by the New York Times. In 2009, Alison played at the Last Night of the Proms. She performed Haydn's Trumpet Concerto. She also played a jazz song with singer Sarah Connolly.
Alison worked with a writer named Samuel Adamson to create a play called Gabriel. This play used music by famous composers like Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel. She performed it with actors and an orchestra.
Alison Balsom is a visiting professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. This means she teaches trumpet to students there. She has performed at many big music events around the world. In 2014, she was part of a special music project called The Impossible Orchestra. They covered the song "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys. Many famous artists were in this group.
She was also a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs. On the show, she talked about her favorite music, book, and luxury item. Her luxury item was, of course, a trumpet!
TV Presenter
Alison has also been a TV presenter. In 2014, she helped present the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. She did this again in 2016.
Festival Director
Alison was the artistic director of the 2019 Cheltenham Music Festival. This means she helped plan and organize the music performances for the festival.
Awards and Honors
Alison Balsom has received many awards for her amazing music.
- She was given the title Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016. This is a special honor for her contributions to music.
- She has received special degrees from the University of Leicester and Anglia Ruskin University.
- She is also an Honorary Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Here are some of her main awards:
- Artist of the Year, Gramophone Classical Music Awards, 2013
- Best Female Artist, Classical BRIT Awards, 2009, 2011
- Classic FM Listeners' Choice Award, Classic FM Gramophone Award 2006
- Young British Performer, Classical BRIT Awards, 2006
- Concerto finalist in the BBC Young Musicians Competition, 1998
Personal Life
Alison Balsom has a son with conductor Edward Gardner. In 2017, she married film director Sam Mendes. They have a daughter who was born in September 2017.
Her Music Albums
Alison Balsom has released many albums. Here are some of them:
- Music for Trumpet and Organ (2002)
- The Fam'd Italian Masters (2003)
- Bach works for Trumpet (2005)
- Caprice (2006)
- Haydn and Hummel Trumpet Concertos (2008)
- Italian Concertos (2010)
- Seraph: Trumpet Concertos (2012)
- Alison Balsom (2012)
- Sound the Trumpet: Royal Music of Purcell and Handel (2012)
- Paris (2014)
- Légende (2016)
- Jubilo (2016) - A Christmas album
- Royal Fireworks (2019)
- Magic Trumpet (2020)
- Quiet City (2022)
- Baroque Concertos (2024)
Trumpet Equipment
Alison Balsom plays different types of trumpets. She uses Schilke brand trumpets like the E3L E-flat/D trumpet and the P7-4 B-flat/A piccolo trumpet. She also uses a specific mouthpiece called a Schilke 6A4a.
