To Stay Open by Charlotte Harding

I am excited to announce my latest solo commission: a piece for unaccompanied flugelhorn by composer Charlotte Harding, generously supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation. In To Stay Open - inspired by my work with renowned sports psychologist Dr Pippa Grange - Charlotte has created a “linear, beautiful, vocal shape that grows in energy and freedom”. I worked with Opal Film to make a music video for this piece, set in the stunning location of Peak Cavern (Peak District) and it will be released online very soon. In the meantime, you can read more on how the piece came about:

Solo Recording Project

Charlotte’s piece is part of a larger recording project this summer, featuring works which have either been written/arranged for me or with which I have a personal connection. Earlier this month I recorded four pieces at the Stapleford Granary in Cambridge, and in August I will be recording music by Stephen Dodgson, Peter Maxwell Davies and Roxanna Panufnik with Britten Sinfonia. August marks one year since I was invited to become a member of the orchestra, so it will be special to record with them as a soloist. Look out for updates about the release of these recordings over the coming months…

Recital in Romsey

On Sunday 30th June, I performed a recital for the Romsey Chamber Music Festival, alongside wonderful pianist Jennifer Walsh. We premiered three new works in this concert and were delighted that it was reviewed for Seen and Heard International:

“The Festival’s final afternoon brought a dazzling recital on trumpet and flugelhorn by Imogen Whitehead, accompanied at the piano by Jennifer Walsh… I found myself wishing for the umpteenth time that I could bottle in words the zing, the zest of this concert: but you had to be there.” Click below to read the full review (paragraphs 5-10):

LSO - BBC Proms

On Saturday 17th August I will be joining the London Symphony Orchestra for their performance of Britten’s War Requiem at the BBC Proms. This monumental piece will feature star soloists Natalya Romaniw, Allan Clayton and Will Liverman alongside the London Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Chorus and Tiffin Boys’ Choir, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano. This Prom will also be televised for BBC Four. Follow the link below for more information and tickets:

LSO Tour (London, Europe, Asia)

From mid-August to mid-October, I will be playing and touring with the London Symphony Orchestra. This 7-week patch marks the start of Sir Antonio Pappano’s first official season as Chief Conductor of the LSO, with concerts in Warsaw, Ljubliana, Gstaad, La Côte Saint-Andre, Paris and Luxembourg. We’ll also be giving four performances in London (Barbican) in mid-September (soloists include Yuja Wang, Anna Lapwood and Vilde Frang) ahead of a tour to Asia (Japan, Korea and China) - more on that in my next newsletter!

St Endellion Summer Festival

This weekend I’ll be travelling down to sunny Cornwall to spend two weeks as Principal Trumpet at the St Endellion Summer Festival (28th July - 9th August). This will be my fourth time playing at the festival and I’m hugely looking forward to performing a variety of operatic, choral, orchestral and chamber works (including The Flying Dutchman by Wagner, Brahms’ German Requiem, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 and the Septet for Trumpet, Piano and Strings by Saint-Saëns) in such a beautiful and inspiring setting.