I coached students of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester from 18–21 June 2024 as part of the Academy of Ancient Music's AAMplify initiative. I taught with Joe Crouch (cello) and (fellow RNCM alumni) Mark Baigent (oboe). I played first trumpet alongside the RNCM students in a performance of Bach’s Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (Ascension Oratorio, BWV 11), directed by Alexander Rebetge,

The last few months have been quite a whirlwind—in fact, it’s been incredibly busy since January when we began rehearsing Mozart’s Così fan tutte for a staged production at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. It was great to perform this opera at the Würzburg Mozartfest with Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset: we gave performances on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th June 2024 in the

I performed the programme ‘Mozart and Friends’ with Les Talens Lyriques and the bass soloist Benjamin Appl. Rehearsals took place at La Seine Musicale in Paris, with the first concert at ‘Le Majestic’ in Montereau (around an hour south of Paris) on Wednesday 22 May 2024, and two subsequent performances in the Würzburg Mozartfest (Friday 24 and Saturday 25 May). It was great to revisit

It was wonderful to be back at the magnificent Théâtre du Châtelet in February 2024, having performed a complete Schubert symphony cycle here around this time last year. I returned, once again with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, to give ten staged performances of Mozart’s opera Così fan tutte (1790). It is quite amazing to watch Christophe directing, juggling his roles as conductor

It was great to revisit the programme, 'Mozart and Friends', that Les Talens Lyriques, under Christophe Rousset and with the baritone Benjamin Appl, most recently performed in April 2023 in Krakow. This time, 27th June 2023, we performed at La Seine Musicale in Paris (Boulogne-Billancourt).After the exciting Louise Bertin Fausto project last week, it was wonderful to play some well-known repertoire,

If you were to ask me to describe my ideal day it would start with a leisurely morning and a nice breakfast, it would also involve exploring, a good walk, a mid-afternoon chill, (Face)time with family, and it would include some lovely music and fine company. This was exactly my day in Kraków on Easter Sunday: I performed at the Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic as part of the Misteria Paschalia festival:

Will Russell and I performed Mozart’s Mass in C minor K427 (417a) with the Ware Choral Society and the Brook Street Band on Saturday 11th June 2022. The performance, which took place in Ware, Hertfordshire, was directed by Harry Sever. The soloists were Ellie Laugharne (soprano), Hanna Hip (mezzo soprano), Nicholas Mulroy (tenor) and Alaistair Ollerenshaw (bass). The former performed a stunning opening

On Sunday 3rd April 2022 I performed Mozart’s Requiem at St Philip’s Church in Norbury, London, with the St. Philip’s Choir and the orchestra Libera. Sam Coates directed the orchestra and this young and excellent choir. The performance began with a hymn—My Song Is Love Unknown—sung by the choir and the congregation, accompanied by church organ and (a special arrangement had been produced

Following an extraordinarily long run of consecutive work, in Croatia, London and Oxford, I returned to Oxford to record choral works by Mozart and Haydn under the baton of Paul Brough, with Instruments of Time & Truth and the excellent Choir of Keble College Oxford. Adrian Peacock was the producer. We recorded Mozart’s Missa in C major [K. 258] on Saturday 2nd October

I performed Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore [K. 339] at SJE Arts (St. John the Evangelist Church) on Iffley Rd in Oxford on Friday 1st October 2021. I last performed at SJE Arts in 2015. On this occasion I played with the Oxford-based orchestra, ‘Instruments of Time & Truth’. We played in the 11am concert, which was part of the Divine Office Festival, promoted by Martin Randall

It all began with doubt as I boarded the train towards London St. Pancras. In light of the coronavirus situation French entry requirements had changed just 10 hours before I travelled, which left some doubt as to whether I would be permitted to get even as far as the Eurostar lounge. Luckily, entry was permitted. I travelled to Puteaux, to the west of Paris where I would be in quarantine. Other Parisians

After an 'interval' of 172 days since my last concert (at York Minster in March), it was a great pleasure and huge relief to play live music with the Brandenburg Sinfonia for their Last Night of the Proms-inspired outdoor performance in the grounds of Hever Castle in Kent on Sunday 30th August 2020. View this post on Instagram First actual gig in 172 days! A post shared by Russell

I arrived in Paris during a heatwave, the day after France's warmest temperature of 45.9°C was recorded in Gallargues-le-Montueux on 28th June 2019. Our Eurostar had been slightly delayed, but we managed to make it to Colline d'Asie before it closed to enjoy nem and pho in an authentically humid climate! After dinner I had arranged for Will and I to meet a friend who had been with us on the tour

This week continued with more Mozart, this time at St. John’s Smith Square on Wednesday 3rd April 2019. Will Russell (2nd trumpet) and I (1st trumpet) played natural trumpets with Musica Poetica and the English Baroque Choir under the direction of former King’s Singer, Jeremy Jackman. The programme consisted of Biber’s Requiem in F Minor [IHB 17] and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor [K. 427], both

On Saturday 30th March 2019 I traveled to St. Peter’s Church on Leigham Court Road in Streatham to perform Mozart’s Krönungsmesse (Coronation Mass) [K.317] and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore [K.339] with the Brandenburg Sinfonia and Streatham Choral. The well-attended concert, entitled Mozart Masterpieces, featured Ave Verum Corpus [K. 618], Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Exultate Jubilate

Les Talens Lyriques performed Mozart’s azione sacra (literally ‘sacred action’) Betulia Liberata [K.118/74c] under the direction of Christophe Rousset in Salzburg’s Mozartwoche 2019. The concert took place in Salzburg’s Haus für Mozart on Sunday 27th January 2019, exactly 263 years after Mozart's birthday on the 27th January 1756. La Betulia Liberata is based on the biblical character of

London’s Cadogan Hall was the venue for a concert given by the choir of Goldsmiths Choral Union and the period instrument orchestra Musicians of London. The concert took place on Tuesday 31st of October 2017 and it featured Haydn’s Te Deum, Mozart’s Vespers [K.339] and Beethoven’s Mass in C. The large forces of Goldsmiths Choral Union did an excellent job with these pieces, ably led by their

I performed (on modern trumpet) with the Meridian Sinfonia, who accompanied the North London Chorus, conducted by Murray Hipkin. The ensemble performed music by Mozart and Matthew King (the latter was present at the performance) at St. James’s Church, Muswell Hill on Saturday 17th of June 2017 (incidentally, my 29th birthday). The soloists were: Lucy Knight (soprano), Martha Jones (mezzo-soprano),

‘Gloria in Excelsis’, ‘Sanctus’ and ‘Agnus Dei’ from Mozart’s ‘Coronation Mass’ (K.317) were performed as parts of the Easter Sunday service (Sung Eucharist with Holy Baptism) at the Parish Church of St. Anne in Kew Green on Easter Sunday, 16th April 2017. I played first trumpet in the orchestra, directed by Chad Kelly. The Choir of St. Anne’s Kew Green sang brilliantly under Chad’s

I performed Haydn’s ‘Nelson Mass’ and Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ at St Mary’s Collegiate Church in the Old Square in Warwick on Saturday 11th of March 2017. Thomas Corns directed the Choirs of St Mary’s Collegiate Church and the period instrument orchestra, led by Lucy Russell. Imogen Russell (soprano) Judy Brown (mezzo-soprano) Matthew Sandy (tenor) Edmund Saddington (bass) For Mozarts