Trumpeter Alison Balsom has joined the Philip Langridge Mentoring Scheme (PLMS), where she will support young trombonist Peter Moore. The mentoring programme will see the two musicians working closely together as colleagues rather than in a traditional teacher/pupil partnership and is co-run by Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) and Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT).
Balsom has appeared with orchestras all over the world and records exclusively for Warner Classics. She herself was a YCAT artist between 2001 and 2004, and has won three Classical BRITs as well as being made Gramophone’s artist of the year in 2013.
Moore joined YCAT in 2014 and is co-principal trombone at London Symphony Orchestra. He is also known for winning the BBC Young Musician Competition at the age of 12, making him the youngest ever winner.
Since it was founded in 2010 PLMS mentors have included Stephen Isserlis, Imogen Cooper, Rolf Hind and Stephen Langridge, while current artists include pianist Clare Hammond (mentored by Anne Queffélec) and mezzosoprano Anna Huntley (mentored by Angelika Kirschlager).
‘The demands on a young classical musician embarking on an international career are huge,’ said RPS executive director Rosemary Johnson. ‘For Peter, ploughing a rather lone furrow as a solo trombonist, it will be invaluable to talk about ideas, concerns and challenges with Alison over the next two years.’
The scheme is named for Philip Langridge, the English tenor who was a trustee of both RPS and YCAT before his death in 2010. Set up in 1984, YCAT is a charity that provides support for young classical musicians in the early stages of their professional careers.