Thomas Nielsen
Co-Principal Trumpet
Thomas Nielsen was appointed Co-Principal Trumpet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in April 2023.
Tom was first introduced to brass playing at the Salvation Army in Croydon, where he started to play the cornet. He graduated from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2022, during which time he was a member and soloist with the International Staff Band.
Tom was Principal Cornet and Leader of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain from 2017–20. In this time he won the Harry Mortimer Solo Award, and the Phillip McCann Cornet Award for an unprecedented four years in succession.
In 2018 Tom became the first cornet player to win the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award. This led to solo performances with Black Dyke Band at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, and with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall live on BBC Radio 2’s ‘Friday Night is Music Night’.
Tom has performed as Guest Principal Trumpet with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic and Aurora Orchestra. He has also worked with the London Symphony Orchestra.