I really do enjoy listening to music—my tastes cover pretty much anything. So, I shall proceed here to set forth my favourite composers, in the vain hope I can convert some of you. I also play the trumpet a little (badly) in some orchestras like the Peterhouse chamber orchestra, and UCPO, and sing a very little (extremely badly) in the Peterhouse chapel choir.
After a term in Cambridge, you really start to appreciate early music more, especially all the great masters like Byrd, Gibbons, Josquin, and Purcell. I was also lucky enough to get to perform in one of my favourite symphonies: Mahler’s second. This is definitely one to listen to obsessively.
Also, I got to play in Gershwin piano concerto with the UCPO, which has a fantastic solo in the second movement (rather high).
Does it get any better than great Romantic symphonists? Mahler, Bruckner, Wagner (he counts), Elgar, Rachmaninov, Dvořàk.... There is enough to last a lifetime (I hope!).
The last big trumpet piece I performed was the Arutiunian trumpet concerto. This is a really interesting piece; a dramatic, tense, modern trumpet concerto which slips into and out of tonal sections. The cadenza (written by Dokshizer) is particularly stunning, and has some very gripping and scary notes to perform! This is definitely a piece for any budding trumpeter to add to their repertory.