Will Palmer BA(Mus), PPRNCM (Chamber)

William is from Exeter in Devon, England. He began having formal trumpet lessons when he was ten and took to it naturally. At an early stage, Will performed Hummel’s trumpet concerto with his local youth orchestra on a tour of Germany and The Czech Republic.

At the age of 18, he gained a place at the Royal Northern College of Music where he studied for four years. During this period, he was taught by Rhys Owens and by the world-renowned brass pedagogue John Miller. He was part of numerous ensembles and played solos, including a solo trumpet part with the Black Dyke Mills brass band. He was awarded the prestigious PPRNCM qualification as a member of the Lowry Brass Quintet.

After leaving college, Will went straight into the full-time role of Principal Trumpet in the Orquestra do Algarve, where he remained for two years. He was also a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra.

In 2005 he moved to Ireland and founded the Dublin Brass ensemble, which has been described by the Irish Times as “a breath of fresh air”. Will is the Artistic Director of this ensemble. In 2009 Dublin Brass recorded its first album ‘Brass Warriors’ which can often be heard on RTE Lyric FM and is available for purchase on Amazon.

Will has performed with every full-time professional orchestra in Ireland, including the Ulster Orchestra, the RTE National Symphony Orchestra and the RTE Concert Orchestra, with whom he is regularly asked to play principal trumpet. He has also played principal trumpet with the Irish Film Orchestra, the Wexford Opera Festival Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, the Irish Chamber Orchestra and numerous other groups and ensembles covering a wide range of genres and styles. He has performed live and recorded extensively for radio, television, films and with pop groups, and is increasingly in demand as a soloist. Recent solo performances include ‘The Indian Queen’ by Henry Purcell and ‘The Unanswered Question’ by Charles Ives with the Ulster Orchestra. Will is also in the process of recording his debut solo album which features new solo trumpet works with the RTE Concert Orchestra.

In the future, with the support from The ISC Music & Entertainment, Will is organising some exciting concerts and recordings.