Young Classical Music Artists Agency and Promoter

About Thomas Gould

One of the leading British violinists of the younger generation, Thomas Gould combines a busy solo career with orchestral leading and directing.

As concerto soloist Thomas has performed in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and throughout the United Kingdom with conductors including Boris Brott, Nicholas Collon, Michael Francis, Nicholas Kraemer, John Rutter and Robin Ticciati. He has given the world premieres of Nico Muhly‘s concerto for electric violin and Christopher Ball’s violin concerto, also recording the latter for Omnibus Classics. Of this recording The Strad writes: Gould makes a ravishing sound on a 1754 Gagliano, sustaining the concerto's melodic lines with a noble assurance and heart-warming intensity that compels throughout.

Highlights of his 2008/9 season included performances of Vaughan Williams‘s The Lark Ascending in the Royal Albert, Barbican and Bridgewater Halls, Thomas Adès’s violin concerto with London Contemporary Orchestra at LSO St. Luke‘s, Mendelssohn’s concerto for violin and piano with Seung-Yeung Huh and Camerata Zürich, Bach‘s concerto for violin and oboe with Nicholas Daniel and Britten Sinfonia, the UK premiere of Penderecki’s Sextet with Aurora, and James Macmillan‘s A Deep but Dazzling Darkness in the opening concert of the new Britten Studio in Aldeburgh. His 2009/10 season has included concerto performances with Orchestra of Opera North, Manchester Camerata, Britten Sinfonia, Bath Philharmonia and Sinfonia ViVA, Bach’s complete Brandenburg Concertos in Montreal's Bach Festival and across Europe, and solo appearances in the Bath, Presteigne and Spitalfields festivals.

In 2008 Thomas was described by London‘s Evening Standard as “taking the orchestral world by storm, as leader of the edgy Aurora Orchestra and co-leader of Britten Sinfonia.” He continues to lead Aurora in their residencies at London’s Kings Place and LSO St. Luke‘s, and during the 2011 season he will become acting leader of Britten Sinfonia. Thomas also regularly leads Manchester Camerata and Montreal’s McGill Chamber Orchestra, and has guest led the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra and Manning Camerata. Recent projects have included directing the Lanaudiere Festival‘s FILArmonia chamber orchestra with soloist Paul Lewis, and directing the Royal Northern College of Music’s string orchestra in a performance of Bartok's Divertimento.

Thomas performs frequently as recitalist and chamber musician, working regularly with pianists John Reid and Alasdair Beatson. He has given recitals at venues across the UK including the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, St. David‘s Hall (Cardiff) and St. George’s (Bristol). Thomas frequently plays with some of the country‘s foremost chamber ensembles including the Nash Ensemble, Razumovsky Ensemble and Scottish Ensemble. He is a regular participant in Open Chamber Music at IMS Prussia Cove in Cornwall, and has also appeared at festivals including Aldeburgh (Suffolk), Aldborough (Yorkshire), Buxton, Chester Summer Music, Hampstead & Highgate, Perth’s Schubertiade, Music at Plush, Stratford-on-Avon and Music at Tresanton. Festival appearances abroad include Ernen (Switzerland), Spoleto (Italy), Nürnberg Kammermusik (Germany), Lanaudiere (Canada) and the Malta Arts Festival. Thomas has also participated in the Verbier Festival, both as a member of the Academy (2007) and as a coach in the Amateur Chamber Music Week (2009/2010).

Thomas is also an accomplished jazz violinist and improviser, and has shared the stage with Québecoise singer Dorothée Berryman, saxophonist Tim Garland's Lighthouse Trio with Gwilym Simcock, and American singer-songwriter Sam Amidon. As well as using his main instrument, a 1754 Gennaro Gagliano violin, Thomas also plays a six-string electric violin made by John Jordan.

Having started violin lessons at the age of three with Sheila Nelson, Thomas‘s subsequent teachers included Simon Fischer, Joji Hattori and György Pauk. In addition he has received valuable advice from Ana Chumachenco, Zakhar Bron, Michael Davis, Mauricio Fuks, Riki Gerardy, Ivry Gitlis and David Takeno. Between 2001 and 2006 Thomas studied at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating with numerous prizes and a final recital mark of 98%. During his time there he was invited to play the ’Viotti' Stradivarius in a concert for HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, participated in a public masterclass with Maxim Vengerov, led the joint orchestras of the RAM and the Juilliard School in a televised BBC Prom, and performed with the Artea String Quartet in a composer portrait of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies for the BBC Proms. In 2009 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).

Visit Thomas Gould's own website here www.thomasgould.com

To engage Thomas Gould for a concert please call us on 020 7379 8477 or contact us using the enquiry form.

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