He was then a private student of Eric Aubier in the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Rueil-Malmaison. Simon was educated at King’s College London and the Royal College of Music, winning numerous prizes and scholarships. Simon is fortunate to maintain active duo partnerships with pianist Clare Hammond and organist Stephen Farr, among many other fine musicians. He gave solo performances at the Ryedale, Wymondham, Bangor New Music, North York Moors, Deal, and Rheine Vokal festivals, and appeared as a concerto soloist on the natural trumpet at the Wigmore Hall. Since his breakthrough season in 2012/13, Simon has given concerto performances in China and Brazil, appeared as soloist with Royal Northern Sinfonia, English Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Swan, Charivari Agréable, Brook Street Band, Ensemble Diderot and London Concertante, and as a guest chamber musician with the Ligeti Quartet, Austral Harmony, Little Venice Ensemble and Ensemble Perpetuo.

More recently, he has begun to collaborate with composers from further afield, including a new concerto for trumpet, piano and strings by American composer Geoffrey Gordon as a partner to Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto. Simon has a particular commitment to British music – composers who have written with his sound and technique in mind include, among others, Edwin Roxburgh, John McCabe, John Traill, Deborah Pritchard, Lola Perrin, Luke Bedford, Toby Young, Tomas Yardley and Tom Armstrong. This has ranged from chamber works, such as trumpet and piano, to full-scale concertos and more unusual combinations such as trumpet with choir, or with string quartet. Radio and Television broadcasts form an integral output to Simon’s work and over the last four years he has performed live on BBC 1 Television, BBC Radio 3 & 4 and German Radio SWR2 to millions of viewers and listeners worldwide.Ī crucial element of Simon’s career involves working with composers to create and champion new works involving the trumpet. Equally active in baroque and contemporary music, Simon has recorded extensively for Signum Classics including most recently Psalm: Contemporary British Trumpet Concertos, an album of trumpet works written for him by John McCabe, Robert Saxton and Deborah Pritchard. Simon Desbruslais is a British trumpet soloist, whose performances have been critically acclaimed as ‘steel- lipped’, ‘musically compelling’ and possessing ‘supreme confidence and flair’. Na het uitvoeren van Psalm werd hij geïnspireerd om de opdracht te geven voor de drie overige werken op het programma: Shakespeare Scenes van Saxton, Skyspace van Deborah Pritchard en La Primavera van John McCabe. Naargelang het ensemble zich bij hen voegt verandert het karakter van de muziek van lyrisch en treurend, via een staat van groeiende intensiteit en drama, in een trompetcadens die de laatste lovende dans aankondigt.ĭebruslais poogt het repertoire van concerten en orkestwerken voor trompet uit te breiden. De trompet zet deze muzikale reis in gang als een priesterachtige ceremoniemeester begeleid door buisklokken, zowel aankondigend als waarschuwend. De titel verwijst indirect naar de collectie van hymen in de Hebreeuwse Bijbel en illustreert een spirituele reis door verschillende gemoedstoestanden. Het centrale werk is Psalm: A Song of Ascents van Robert Saxton.

Trompettist Simon Desbruslais soleert op dit album met wereldpremières van enkele van de meest toonaangevende componisten uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Wereldpremières van toonaangevende componisten met de trompet in de hoofdrol

Contemporary trumpet repertoire