Born: March 12, 1928 - Bath, England
Died: January 17, 2000 - London, England |
Philip Jones, trumpet artist and founder of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble (= PJBE), was born into a family of trumpeters, and was a scholarship student at the Royal College of Music.
Philip Jones was principal trumpet of six London orchestras during his career. His orchestral years included appointments with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1956-1960), Philharmonia Orchestra (1960-1964), London Philharmonic Orchestra (1964-1965), New Philharmonia Orchestra (1965-1967), and BBC Symphony Orchestra (1960-1971).
In 1951, Philip Jones formed the PJBE, which was initially a quartet. The world-renowned ensemble grew to 10 members by 1970 and released 50 recordings. He achieved his goal of gaining the same recognition for brass soloists and ensembles that had previously been enjoyed by more traditional solo instruments such as the piano and violin. In 1986, after accidentally driving his car over his trumpet case, he made the decision to retire. He continued to teach, accepting a position at Trinity College of Music, where he worked until 1994. He also served as chairman of the musiciansÕ charity fund in 1995, having worked for the fund throughout his retirement.
Philip Jones was awarded an Order of the British Empire in 1977 and the Commander of the Order of British Empire in 1986. He is survived by his wife, Ursula Strebi. |