Philip Cobb appointed Joint Principal Trumpet of London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra is delighted to announce the appointment of 21-year-old Philip Cobb as Joint Principal Trumpet with Rod Franks. Philip Cobb will take up his position from 1 September 2009. He has just completed his four-year undergraduate degree at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he studied with Paul Beniston and Alison Balsom - and won the award for Most Promising Performer in the Maurice André International Trumpet Competition in 2006. He has played as soloist with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko, played concertos with the Guildhall Brass Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble and is part of the quintet Barbican Brass.

Philip Cobb has participated in a number of LSO Discovery projects as a Guildhall School student. He took part in the LSO St Luke’s Brass Academy in 2008 and was the winner of the Candide Award - which is a bursary awarded to an Academy student who in the opinion of the LSO Principals shows the most musical promise during the Academy week. The Orchestra’s active programme of nurturing young talent, which includes the Centre for Orchestra project run with the Guildhall School and the Barbican Centre, has offered him opportunities to develop strong links with the Orchestra. In recent months he has played alongside young musicians from East London in the LSO On Track programme working with talented youngsters from ten East London boroughs.

Philip Cobb says: ‘As a kid I grew up listening to this Orchestra and even then wanted to be in it. To have accepted the chair is a massive privilege for me and I am really looking forward to working with the fantastic musicians in the LSO’.

Rod Franks joined the LSO in 1988 and has shared the Principal Trumpet chair since 1990 with Maurice Murphy, who has now retired. Philip Cobb has played on trial in the London Symphony Orchestra in recent concerts conducted by the Orchestra’s President Sir Colin Davis. Rod Franks comments: “The LSO has at long last found a superb Principal Trumpeter in 21-year-old Philip Cobb, a talent beyond his years…a level headed chap who will have total support of the whole orchestra and its brass section, who are looking forward to his arrival in September. He will be an asset to the Orchestra for many years to come.”

In 2007 Philip released his debut solo CD ‘Life Abundant’ with the Cory Band and Organist Ben Horden.

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