Biography

British trumpeter Imogen Whitehead is in demand across the UK and internationally, enjoying an increasingly diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral principal. A passionate advocate for new music, Imogen has served on the International Trumpet Guild’s ‘New Works’ committee and has premiered numerous works by composers including Sally Beamish, Charlotte Harding, Stephen Dodgson, and Aníbal Vidal, whose work received a 2026 Ivor Novello Award. Many of these works are featured on her recently released debut solo album, Connection.

A particular champion of the flugelhorn, an instrument often overlooked in the classical sphere, Imogen is dedicated to raising its profile as a solo instrument through new commissions and arrangements. In July 2026, she made her concerto debut with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, giving the world premiere of Gabriel Jackson’s newly commissioned Flugelhorn Concerto as part of her Artistic Residency at Yorkshire’s Ryedale Festival. The work receives further performances at the Presteigne Festival and with Sinfonia Smith Square during the 2026/27 season. Recent and forthcoming highlights also include recitals at Ampleforth Abbey, Upstairs at Ronnie’s Scott’s Jazz Club, Canterbury Festival, and the Kissingen Sommer Music Festival, alongside recording projects with the United Strings of Europe and VOCES8.

In addition to her position as Principal Trumpet with Britten Sinfonia, Imogen performs regularly as Guest Principal Trumpet with other leading orchestras internationally. Recent highlights include European tours with Aurora Orchestra and Abel Selaocoe and the London Symphony Orchestra. In recent years, she has also performed in London’s West End and played on major film soundtracks including Maestro and Saltburn.

Imogen is currently Artist-in-Residence with St Martin’s Voices and a member of the acclaimed wind and brass collective, Neoteric Ensemble. She is deeply committed to music education, community engagement, and equal opportunity, serving as an Associate and Mentor for GALSI (Gender and the Large and Shiny Instruments), an initiative promoting gender equality in brass and percussion. She is also involved in Britten Sinfonia’s pioneering outreach work, has worked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s ‘Resound’ education and community programme, and regularly leads masterclasses at conservatoires across the UK.

Based in South West London, Imogen also volunteers as a befriender through the Wimbledon Guild. An alumna of the Royal Academy of Music, Imogen studied with professors including Mark David and Gareth Small and subsequently studied privately with Norwegian soloist Tine Thing Helseth. In April 2025, Imogen was awarded Associateship of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).

Click here to read Imogen’s most recent newsletter and here to join Imogen’s mailing list.

Click here to read Imogen’s full CV.

Promoters please note: Imogen’s biography is updated regularly and we ask that it is not altered without permission. For an updated version, please e-mail Jessica Grime (jess@keynoteAM.com).