Anthony Thompson

Anthony Thompson began his musical training at The Salvation Army in Castleford, Yorkshire, progressing through a music scholarship to Ackworth School and then to Hull University where he graduated with an Honours Degree in Music. Following a year of post-graduate trumpet studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and two years as Music Director to the Salvation Army in Texas, he is now one of the busiest trumpeters in the North of England. In April 2008 Anthony was appointed principal trumpet of Sinfonia ViVA and since Christmas Day 2002 he has also been principal trumpet and soloist with the New English Orchestra. Despite this, he somehow manages to make regular appearances (including guest principal trumpet) with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Manchester Camerata, Manchester Concert Orchestra, Northern Chamber Orchestra, New European Orchestra and the Royal Northern Sinfonia. He works occasionally with Opera North, English Northern Philharmonia, the Royal Shakespeare Company, North of England Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Northern Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Britten Sinfonia. He has also played principal trumpet with Orquestra Nacional do Porto and been a member of the Britten-Pears Orchestra and Baroque Orchestra. In addition, Anthony is a part of ViVA Brass, Orichalcum Classic Brass, Brass Ho!, Harlequin Brass and the English Brass Consort. As a session musician, Anthony has played on recordings with artists as diverse as Don Lusher, Kenny Baker, Norman Wisdom, Barbara Windsor, Claire Sweeney, Shirley Bassey, Delirious? and Gorillaz amongst many others, His albums of varied Classical works are available on digital download sites. In live performance, Anthony has performed with the Fine Arts Brass Ensemble, Lesley Garrett, Hayley Westenra, The Sixteen with Harry Christophers, Liam McNally, London Community Gospel Choir, Steve Winwood, duetted with Sting and played for Pope Benedict XVI! As a soloist, Anthony has toured extensively throughout the UK, USA, Holland and Brazil, and has appeared in Norway, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Switzerland and Italy. With organist Gordon Stewart he gave the first performance of Andrew Carter's Petite Suite, which they then took on two tours in the United States. In addition to his own solo work and masterclasses, Anthony appears regularly on BBC Radio 4's Daily Service and BBC Television’s Songs of Praise. In the summers of 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012 he performed substantial solo works with the New English Orchestra at the Salzburg Festival, returning in 2014 to premiere a new composition written especially for him! In late 2010 Anthony teamed up with Greg Bish to form a duo, whose informative concerts manage to display an unexpected complement that the trumpet and classical guitar can be to each other. Their first live recording, "An Intimate Evening with the Bish/Thompson Duo" is now available online and in person. Anthony is well known for the wide range of instruments he plays in concerts - everything from didgeridoo and conch shell to coaching horn, antique and modern cornets, soprano trombone, bugle, flugel horn, ramshorn and antelope horn shofars, natural and piccolo trumpets!