Trumpet Concerto (2025)

I wrote my trumpet concerto at the invitation of Jonathan Clarke who I met when he recorded the CD of my work with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in England when I was the orchestra’s composer in residence. I very much admired Jonathan’s bright and energetic playing as well as his accomplished technical skills, so I was delighted to take up the offer from Jonathan and the Aalborg Symphony to write this work.

I decided to keep the concerto within the familiar three movement format and the work opens with a flourish before settling into a more thoughtful melodic mood. This is broken by excursions into more boisterous territory intended to show off the soloist's prowess as he joins with other instruments in multiple conversations. The second moment is more contemplative and starts with dark hued strings over which the soloist establishes a lyrical stream. A second set of ideas provides contrast and these ideas evolve as the mood changes to reveal different colours and combinations always foregrounding the trumpet to set the scene. The final movement is exuberant and virtuosic and features glittering harp and celeste sounds before new musical ideas are ushered in by bells and energetic brass. Over all of this the trumpet whirls and cascades before, in a final athletic cadenza, leading the orchestra to breezily wrap things up while having the final say!