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B i o g r a p h y

JOHN FOSTER - Trumpet Soloist

 

John Foster is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading exponents of performance on historical trumpets and cornetto, and is the Artistic Director of the renowned ensemble Australian Baroque Brass. John has also been a member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 2001-2013. John has appeared as soloist at festivals and concert series worldwide and performed as soloist with many leading orchestras and ensembles, including: the Sydney Symphony, Sydney Philharmonia, Queensland Symphony, Adelaide Symphony, Norwich Baroque (United Kingdom) among others. In 2011 John also performed J.S.Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.2 with Belgium's leading baroque orchestra 'Il Fundamento'. John was also a soloist for the launch of the Kammerorchester Basel (Switzerland) 2012 season. in 2017 ( - present) Mr Foster was appointed as the Artistic Director of period instrument orchestra, Queensland Baroque. John has recently accepted an invitation to become the Principal Trumpet of the Omega Ensemble.


He has made several solo recordings including: 'Flourish' (ABC Classics), 'Music of a Golden Age Vol.1', 'Revolution' vol.2, 'Trumpets of the Realm' vol.3 (Tubicium Records). John is dedicated to education and has given master classes throughout the world, including at the Juilliard School of Music (USA), Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester), the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Northwestern University (Chicago), Indiana University, Bern University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland), and Conservatorio da Belo Horizonte (Brazil) among numerous others.

 

In 2010 John released a book: 'The Natural Trumpet and Other Related Instruments' (http://www.kookaburramusic.com/page21/trumpet.html), which has received great critical acclaim. He is also the owner and curator of Australia’s largest collection of historical trumpets, which he enjoys exhibiting throughout Australia. John recently made a guest appearances on ABC television series the "Collectors" and live performances on 'The Morning Show'.


John has also enjoyed performing with such orchestras and ensembles as the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, English National Ballet (United Kingdom), Concerto Grosso Heidelburg, Kammermusik Potsdam, Hannoverschen Hofkapelle, Berlin Baroque, St Thomas Boys' Choir of Leipzig, (Germany), Le Concert Lorrain (France), Collegium Musicum Grossmunster (Switzerland), Barokorkest Concerto Vivo (Holland), Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, New Zealand Baroque Soloists, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Symphonie Orchesta de Macau, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia,  and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

Recently John went to the USA to perform as a soloist for a new CD of previously unrecorded 17th Century works for trumpet, with the Kentucky Baroque Trumpets. In 2013 John was invited to Brazil to perform as soloist and be a guest artist at the early music festival in Belo Horizonte. In 2014 John appeared as soloist with the Adelaide Symphony and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (New Zealand). In 2015 John undertook an extensive tour of the USA, where in addition to giving numerous concerts, he was guest lecturer at Juilliard, Oberlin Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory and many other universities.

 

Most recently John has released a new book 'The Baroque Trumpet Revival' (hickmanmusiceditions.com) which has been met with great critical acclaim throughout the world. In 2019 John was appointed to the 'Board of Directors' of the International Trumpet Guild.

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