Paul Archibald – Honorary Award Recipient

Recital: The Sounds of Siam

Paul studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London. His first appointment was co- principal trumpet of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden eventually moving from this position to join PhilipJones Brass Ensemble and the UK’s premier contemporary ensemble, London Sinfonietta. During this period Paul was a prize-winner at the Toulon Prix de Concours alongside Hakan Hardenburger and Eric Aubier. His success in this competition allowed him to develop his solo career.

On the retirement of Philip Jones, Paul was a founder-member of English Brass Ensemble and toured extensively with this group for many years, focussing on the contemporary brass ensemble repertoire. Paul has worked with many of the world’s leading composers including Witold Lutoslawski, Elliott Carter, Gunther Schuller, Peter Maxwell Davies, Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez , Toru Takemitsu, George Benjamin and Harrison Birtwistle.

Paul has also been principal trumpet of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and is still currently a member of one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras, Britten Sinfonia: resident ensemble at the Barbican, London.

His career as a trumpeter has covered many genres: classical, contemporary, commercial, film, pop and folkmusic, and he has worked with many popular artists including Barbara Streisand, Shirley Bassey, Sir PaulMcCartney, Sir Bob Geldoff, Bloc Party and Oasis. He was also invited to perform with trumpeter Maurice Murphy at the wedding of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills

His film work includes Batman (1989), Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Shrek, Madagascar, The Chronicles of Narnia, Rambo, Sweeney Todd, Moulin Rouge and Pirates of the Caribbean. In the recording studio he has worked withmany of the great film composers such as Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand, John Williams, Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Elmer Bernstein and Jerry Goldsmith. His interest in folk music stems from hiswork with the iconic folk group, Brass Monkey and the folk-rock band, Home Service.

Paul’s work as a chamber musician includes long-established relationships with three London-based chamber orchestras, Britten Sinfonia, London Mozart Players and Orchestra of St John’s. As principal trumpet ofthese orchestras he regularly performs the solo trumpet repertoire and contributes to their creative educational and community- based projects.

As an educator Paul has been a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, RoyalWelsh College of Music and Drama and was Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 2003 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, London, limited to 300 former Academy students, and awarded to those musicians who have distinguished themselves within the music profession.

In 2010 Paul founded English Brass Academy to develop a range of specialist chamber music courses foryoung musicians and has since developed collaborations with many UK and international schools in countriessuch as Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Japan, Dubai, Poland and Ukraine.

Paul is also an active composer and arranger and many of his works are published by Brass Wind Publications. He is the editor of two series of brass music: English Brass Collection and the Paul Archibald Collection. 

His discography includes solo works for trumpet and piano (Joie de Vivre and Divertissment) and a range of concerti with the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Gerhardt. Paul also brought together the International Celebrity Trumpet Ensemble for an iconic recording of originalworks for trumpet ensemble, featuring Ryan Anthony, Maurice Murphy, Gabor Tarkovi, HansGansch and other world class musicians. His recording of the Shostakovich Concerto No 1 op 35 fortrumpet, piano and strings with Alain Lefèvre (piano), Mathias Bamert (conductor) and theLondon Mozart Players was awarded Canada’s prestigious JUNO Wward for Best Classical Album in 2010.

In 2019 Paul founded a new charity – Harmony: Action Through the Arts – bringing benefit to young peoplewho are socially and economically disadvantaged through activity in a range of musical projects. Paul is currently Head of Woodwind and Brass at Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok, Thailand