Alan Thomas has been Joint Principal Trumpet in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra since 2004. Prior to this he studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire between 1996 and 2000 where he gained a first class honours degree. It was during this time that Alan won the Gold medal in the Shell/LSO awards and won the Brass prize in the Royal Overseas League. He is also a winner of the Musicians Benevolent Fund’s Charles Leggett Award. Alan moved to London to study at the Royal College of Music under the guidance of Malcolm Smith, Andy Crowley and Paul Archibald. Whilst there, he gained experience by working as a freelancer with London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Opera House, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, London Brass and Ensemble Modern. He returned to the Birmingham Conservatoire in 2004 as a trumpet tutor and was awarded Honorary Membership in 2006. As well as his position in the CBSO, Alan currently works as a guest principal with BBC symphony, Philharmonia and LSO.