Ian Bousfield
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Ian Bousfield (born 1964) is Principal Trombone with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, having formerly held the same position at the London Symphony Orchestra.
Ian was born in York, England and began playing the trombone at the age of seven, taught by his father. Like many of England's top brass players, Ian’s playing flourished quickly in the brass band scene, having been principal trombonist in the National Youth Brass Band at age 13, and for four years, principal with the Yorkshire Imperial Band, during which time they won the British, National and Yorkshire championships.
In 1979, Ian became the youngest winner ever of the Shell/London Symphony Orchestra Music Scholarship. In 1980 joined the European Union Youth Orchestra where he spent 2 years under Claudio Abbado. He spent only six months studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before he was appointed Principal Trombone at the Hallé Orchestra in March 1983.
In 1984 he performed Elgar Howarth's Trombone Concerto with the Yorkshire Imperial Band for broadcast on BBC Radio 3. And in 1985 he played the first British performance of Gunther Schuller's trombone concerto, Eine kleine Posaunenmusik with the Halle Orchestra conducted by the composer.
In 1988 at the age of 24, Ian was appointed principal trombonist of the London Symphony Orchestra, taking over from the veteran Denis Wick. At the time, Denis Wick said, "he is an extremely accomplished player and what he is short on by way of experience, if he is, he is bright enough to get together very quickly." (interview with The Trombonist magazine of the British Trombone Society)
In recounting his time at the LSO, Ian wrote in the Brass Herald, "Do I regret leaving? No, except when I hear the LSO play a great film track like 'Star Wars' or 'Braveheart'. Then, I have to confess, I have to fight back the tears and wonder what I've done because hearing the LSO brass section playing that stuff is simply electrifying."
Ian was appointed professor of trombone at the Royal Academy of Music in 1992 and has since been awarded Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music.
In September of 2000 he accepted a new position as principal trombonist of the Vienna State Opera/Vienna Philharmonic, on an equal footing with Dietmar Küblböck.
On his new orchestra, Ian wrote, "The biggest difference between the Wph and every other orchestra I have heard is the size of its heart. It doesn't matter how tired the Orchestra is; it always plays with huge pride and commitment. Even after seventeen years in orchestras, I was shocked at the level of performance and, to be honest I had not known anything like it since I was in brass bands."
British composer Jonathan Dove is reported to be in progress with a new concerto called "Stargazer" for Ian to be premiered in March 2007 with the LSO conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.
Ian's solo recordings started with a mix of popular solos with brass band and synthesizer in "The Versatile Virtuoso" (1992, Doyen CD014). This was followed by Frank Martin's Ballade with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Matthias Bamert (Chandos), Elgar Howarth's Concerto for Trombone with Eikkanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag and Howarth conducting (Doyen), Derek Bourgeois' Trombone Concerto with the Sun Life Band, much of the standard trombone and piano repertoire on EMI as part of its Virtuosi series and most recently the Bourgeois Trombone Sonata with the YBS Band and David King.
His orchestral recordings are numerous, but the highlights include the "Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace" recording with the LSO (Sony, 1999) and in the large trombone solo in Mahler's 3rd Symphony with Boulez and the VPO (DG, 2003).
Also notable are his recordings with the LSO Brass, particularly "American Brass".
