"She makes the trumpet sing with an irresistible exuberance and eloquence." - THE TIMES

"The Scottish Ensemble is an ideal fit for Balsom, accompanying her with equal drive and vitality" - THE GUARDIAN

Alison Balsom has cemented an international reputation as one of classical music's great ambassadors. She has been honored with numerous awards by Classic FM, Gramophone and Echo Klassik Awards and in 2009 she became the first ever Briton to be crowned "Female Artist of the Year" at the Classical BRITs, an award bestowed on her a second time in 2011. In September 2009 Alison headlined The Last Night of the BBC Proms, viewed by an estimated global television audience of 200 million, and in December 2010 she made an appearance on the David Letterman show.

Versatile, enterprising and ambitious, the Scottish Ensemble is a tight-knit band of outstanding musicians from Scotland and across Europe who perform regularly together under Artistic Director Jonathan Morton. This increasingly adventurous group has an enviable reputation for innovative commissioning and programming, performing interesting and unusual pieces alongside more well-known music. Based in Glasgow, the Scottish Ensemble tours throughout Scotland and appears regularly at London’s Wigmore Hall, the BBC Proms, and the Edinburgh International, City of London, Aldeburgh and St Magnus Festivals. Internationally, it has toured to China, Germany and France.

DISCOGRAPHY:  Alison records exclusively for EMI Classics.

Classic FM Magazine, December 2010, “Italian Concertos” review:
“The clarity and precision of her articulation make it an exhilarating experience. In the slow movement her phrasing, with a liberal use of rubato, is mesmerising.”

WQXR Radio, New York, November 8, 2010, Album of the Week, "Italian Concertos":
"...the depth of her musicianship...makes her stand out along with the ability to make the solo trumpet seem as natural as a solo violin or cello."

RECENTLY RELEASED: Balsom and Scottish Ensemble's "Seraph" recorded live at Wigmore Hall, includes trumpet concertos by MacMillan, Takemitsu, Arutunian, and Zimmerman; on EMI in January 2012

APRIL 2013 TOUR SCHEDULE

April 5 - UCSB Arts & Lectures Program, Campbell Hall (Santa Barbara, CA)

April 6 - La Jolla Music Society, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (San Diego, CA)