Matilda Lloyd could never be accused of " blowing her own trumpet" !! She is a superb player, and partnered by Leo Nicholson at the Bechstein, blew away any cobwebs lurking in the sanctuary in no uncertain manner. On Friday 12th April, these two young artists presented a long and exacting programme of music for trumpet and piano, from the 18th. century until the present day.

Three pieces by Giovanni Battista Martini, the first of which "Toccata", galvanised our attention in no uncertain manner as a clarion call from a musician who obviously meant business with confidence and musical dexterity to match. The same composer`s remaining works showed a quieter "Largo" before a fast and furious "Introduction and Allegro" to his sonata AI "Post--Communio"

As an interlude, Leo Nicholson played the beautiful slow Scarlatti sonata in B Minor K.33 with its subtle tapestry of counterpoint, and later in the programme interspersed three Gershwin Preludes garnished with jazz rhythms and harmonies with which he coped admirably.

Taking us up to the interval, the Karl Pilss Sonata for trumpet and piano written in 1935 proved to have three attractive movements of contrasting emotions. Mostly romantic, the first section displayed melodious dialogue between the players, punctuated with lively trumpet rhythm with flowing piano background. After a rather sudden ending, this gave way in the second part, to a slow plodding progression towards the final fast and highly rhythmical final movement bringing to an end a first class rendering of this very likeable composition.

After the interval and remaining in the 20th Century, Honegger`s "Intrada" is a short piece somewhat Germanic in style, starting with an upward progression of notes developing into a thrusting angular shape with large melodic leaps and proving a highly effective vehicle for a trumpet virtuoso.

As a complete contrast, Gabriel Faure's well known and loved "Après un rêve showed the trumpet in a different light both as regards tone and sensitivity but the more sensuous sound was soon replaced by the swinging American idioms from the Big Bands arranger Sammy Nestico's "Portrait of a Trumpet". A delightful number ably showing both artist`s ability to "cross over" in their musical ability.

"Seven Halts on the Somme" by Deborah Pritchard is inspired by a series of oil paintings by Hughie O`Donoghue depicting some of the scenes from the Great War. This very moving composition was played with much feeling by both artists and admirably evoked the atmosphere at the front in this terrible carnage. It is very interesting to know that Matilda Lloyd was commissioned to make the first recording of this epic composition, and that the composer is sound / colour sensitive in that sounds produce colours in her mind.

Last but by no means least we heard the "Concert Etude " Op.49 by Alexander Goedicke. This is an absolute show piece requiring virtuoso abilities from both players including a special tonguing technique for the wind player All this, at breakneck speed, provided a great ending from these very personable young players with whom we had the pleasure of sharing in their immense gifts.

P.B.

Matilda Lloyd

New recording issued 5th October 2018: Direct Message 20th & 21st century works for trumpet and piano - Orchid Classics ORC100089.

Matilda, 22, won her first international competition in October 2017: the Eric Aubier International Trumpet Competition. Triumphing over 53 other contestants of all ages from around the world, Matilda won the Master Category accompanied by the Opera Orchestra of Rouen, with which she will make her international debut with a tour of France in Spring 2019. Matilda gave her BBC Proms Solo debut in July 2016, performing the third movement of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto with Alpesh Chauhan and the BBC Philharmonic in the two Ten Pieces II Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. She also performed live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune Proms Special and BBC 4’s Women’s Hour. Matilda was delighted to be chosen to replace Tine Thing Helseth for a concert with the Manchester Camerata to celebrate International Women’s Day in March 2018. She performed Deborah Pritchard’s Seven Halts on the Somme under the baton of Jessica Cottis at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Matilda is currently a Park Lane Group Young Artist, presenting programmes of contemporary music for trumpet and piano in London venues such as St. John’s Smith Square and St. James’ Piccadilly, and she will make her Wigmore Hall debut in their recital series in July 2018. As a Concordia Foundation Artist and a Making Music UK’s Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist, Matilda performs concertos and recitals throughout the country. She also holds the Philharmonia’s Martin Musical Scholarship Fund Sidney Perry Brass Award. While studying at the Academy with Mark David, Matilda also receives tuition from world-class trumpet soloists. She participated in a week of masterclasses with Håkan Hardenberger as a Britten Pears Young Artist, sponsored by the Royal Warrant Holders Association Alan Britten Bursary, and a weekend of masterclasses in France with Éric Aubier. Matilda has performed as a soloist with the London Mozart Players in St. Martin-in-the-Fields and will appear at the Ryedale Festival this summer.

In 2014, Matilda won the BBC Young Musician of the Year Brass Final and the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award. As a result of winning these competitions, Matilda was the guest soloist with Cory Brass Band at the European Brass Band Championships Gala Concert in Perth, Scotland, and played with the BBC Concert Orchestra for Friday Night is Music Night. Recently, she was invited back to Friday Night is Music Night to perform for the special programme for BBC Radio 2’s 50^th Birthday in September 2017. Matilda was the first ever trumpeter to win Junior Guildhall’s annual Lutine Prize in 2013 and won many regional Young Musician of the Year Competitions, including Woking, Guildford, Croydon and Marlowe (Canterbury).

Matilda was the Principal Trumpet of the European Union Youth Orchestra in both 2016 and 2017, touring Europe under Bernard Haitink and Vasily Petrenko and performing works such as Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony and Mahler’s First Symphony. She also played Principal at the orchestra’s appearance at the Gothenburg Festival in November 2016 and was a member of the orchestra in 2015. Matilda played in the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in September 2016 for Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall and joined the Philharmonia Orchestra on tour to Klosters in December of the same year. Matilda was the Principal Trumpet of the Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra from 2014-15 and the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra from 2015-16. Prior to this, Matilda held the position of Principal Trumpet of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain from 2012-14 and received many complimentary reviews in the national press for her rendition of the First Trumpet part of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony in the Barbican in January 2014. In her final year in the orchestra, she received the John Fletcher Brass Prize for her contribution to the orchestra.

Matilda is also a keen chamber musician. She has led the EUYO Brass Quintet at prestigious engagements such as the opening of the EU Residency Building in Amsterdam and at the Austrian Embassy in London, and the EUYO Brass Dectet in various venues around Europe. She is a founding member of the Ibex Brass Dectet and the Ramiel Brass Quintet at the Royal Academy of Music, and was the lead trumpet of the Cambridge University Trumpet Ensemble for three years whilst studying at Cambridge.

Leo Nicholson

Pianist Leo Nicholson specialises in chamber music and song accompaniment. In 2018 Leo was a Leeds Lieder Young Artist, and in 2016 he received the Accompanist Prize at the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards, accompanying his cousin, bass-baritone Sam Carl. In 2010 he formed a flute and piano duo with Rosanna Ter-Berg, and their critically acclaimed Purcell Room début (under the auspices of the Park Lane Group) in January 2012 led to performances at the Wigmore Hall and the Bridgewater Hall. Leo also works with saxophonist Anthony Brown, who he met through the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and they have since played together all over the country.

Leo Nicholson studied at the Purcell School, the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, and with Douglas Finch and the late Yonty Solomon at Trinity Laban, and is currently studying accompaniment at RAM. At Trinity, he won the Beethoven, Chopin, Academic and Keyboard Faculty prizes along with a Silver Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

Leo has performed at many of the country’s major venues (including Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Kings Place and the Bridgewater Hall) and over thirty music societies as a soloist and with others. He also works in theatre, opera and with six-piano group Piano Circus.