Gareth Small, Principal Trumpet of the Hallé Orchestra, and a man with a proud brass band heritage to his name, has recently crowned a memorable year by receiving a prestigious Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music in London (above — with his parents Tony and Gillian).

In demand

Gareth, who is now in his 22nd year with the Manchester orchestra, is one of the most ‘in demand’ international trumpeters around – as was shown earlier this year when he answered a last minute SOS from Welsh composer Karl Jenkins to perform at the famous Llangollen International Music Festival.

With featured soloist Pacho Flores stranded in Madrid, Gareth stepped into the breach on the day of the concert — much to the relief of the composer and the delight of a worldwide television audience.

Roots

A few days later he returned to his brass band roots to tutor on the National Youth Brass Band of Wales residential course in Wrexham (he is a former principal cornet and guest soloist) before taking on a new role as an adjudicator for the S4C televised Band Cymru contest.

He has recently been in the recording studio too — playing trumpet on the forthcoming Disney film ‘Into the Woods’ – as well with the London Symphony Orchestra on ‘Cinderella’, directed by Kenneth Branagh, to be released next March.

The Fellowship is a great honour — and I’m now looking forward to more great music making with the Halle as well as commencing a new academic term as Trumpet Professor at the Royal Academy of MusicGareth Small

Family break

Add in a Prom Concert or two, more recording with the latest ‘Hunger Games’ film, a busy Halle season and a concert tour to Italy and Austria with London Brass, and you can see why he was delighted to be able to fit in a two week family break to Spain in the Summer.

He told 4BR: "I’m very fortunate to do the job I do — so no complaints. It has been very busy in the last year though — and it was great to be able to get back to my brass band roots in Wales."

Great honour

He added: "The Fellowship is a great honour — and I’m now looking forward to more great music making with the Halle as well as commencing a new academic term as Trumpet Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London, alongside my work at the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham’s Music School in Manchester."