Get to know Jason Evans
Tell us a bit more about your journey as a musician – when did you first start learning, and why did you choose the trumpet?
I started playing when I was six – my dad used to play in brass bands, and he started me on a cornet in the Isle of Man. We were in the Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band, and we used to play there regularly as a family with my sisters also learning brass instruments. I gained a place at the Chetham’s School of Music where I studied through secondary school, and Gareth Small, Principal Trumpet of the Hallé Orchestra, was my teacher. He is someone who I greatly admire, and is still a huge inspiration and musical hero of mine. I remember when I was 11 years old hearing him play Mahler’s 5th Symphony for the first time, I knew that was what I wanted to do when I was older!
You’re the Principal Trumpet of the Philharmonia Orchestra, a position you’ve held since you were a student. What have been the key highlights of your time with the Orchestra?
Near the start of my career, we performed Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring over 20 times in one season, touring the piece round Europe and Asia – and each performance was electric. The trumpet team was fab, and each concert (although on occasion a little jet-lagged!) was great fun. We are very lucky at the Philharmonia to have a great team of players, both in the section and as extras. Touring Latin America with Vladimir Ashkenazy, and frequent tours to Japan with Esa-Pekka Salonen were amazing! Schoenberg’s epic Gurre-Lieder, and Messiaen’s Turangalîla are also notable concerts, while Herbert Blomstedt’s Bruckner Symphonies 4 and 7 were musical experiences that I will always remember. A recent highlight was playing Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings at the BBC Proms and then at the Royal festival Hall with Santtu.
What do you enjoy about performing in a brass ensemble, and how does it differ to playing in a full symphony orchestra?
It’s firstly a much smaller group, meaning the way we play together is very different, and we get to play lots of challenging arrangements as there isn’t that much original repertoire for brass ensemble! We usually sit at the back of the orchestra making lots of noise, but it’s great to get to play all the tunes in a smaller ensemble!
You’re a professor at the Royal Academy and Royal College of Music. What do you enjoy most about teaching, and why is it important to you?
I really enjoy helping students through the challenges they face both technically and mentally. The mental preparation needed for performing at auditions and on the concert platform is more important than ever, with recent successes in sports shining a light on the significance of psychological resilience. Essentially – I really want to help everyone not make the same mistakes I did!
As one of the few global majority musicians in the UK to hold some of the positions I have, I am passionate about inclusivity within the arts. I hope to make a difference through inspiring the next generation of musicians to become more accepting and welcoming to all.
What advice would you give to young musicians who are starting to learn a brass instrument?
Breathe and blow! Find other young musicians who want to make lots of noise and have as much fun as possible! Those of us on stage have managed to make a career out of doing just that!
Do you have a favourite Christmas carol? What is it?
Coventry Carol or In the Bleak Midwinter – they’re so beautiful!
