"Incredible sensitivity is Balsom's secret. In her hands, the trumpet rivals the human voice for expressivity and tonal colouring" - how the St. Petersburg Times described Alison's playing on her CD Bach works for trumpet in April 2006.

A highly acclaimed artist, Alison was named Best Young British Performer at the 2006 Classical Brit Awards and was honoured with the Classic Fm Listener's Award in the September 2006 Gramophone Awards.

Whilst represented by the Young Artists Concert Trust, Alison caught the ear of EMI Classics, for whom she now records exclusively. Her debut CD was released in 2002, followed by her internationally acclaimed CD Bach works for trumpet last year. Her latest CD Caprice was released in September 2006, to further critical acclaim.

Under the auspices of BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme, of which she was a member until recently, Alison has given concerts at the Wigmore Hall, and with all of the BBC orchestras. The summer of 2006 saw Alison take part in the BBC's celebrated Last Night of the Proms in London's Hyde Park.

Recent performances include her debut with the Colorado Symphony and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras as well as performances with Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Orchestre National de Belgique, Athens Camerata, English Chamber Orchestra and an appearance at London's Mostly Mozart Festival with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. A trumpet concerto by Joby Talbot, commissioned especially for Alison by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Turku Philharmonic and Munich Chamber orchestras, was premiered in 06/07. The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and The Tower of London also saw Alison in recital during the season.

The current season has seen Alison make her New York debut at 'Free for All at the Town Hall' with further appearances at Chicago's Ravinia Festival, the Prague Spring Festival and Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. Upcoming concerto highlights include performances with the LA Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, SWR Freiburg and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra.

Alison studied trumpet at the Guildhall School of Music, the Paris Conservatoire, and with Håkan Hardenberger. She was a concerto finalist in the BBC Young Musicians Competition in 1998 and received the Feeling Musique Prize for quality of sound in the 4th Maurice André International Trumpet Competition. She has recently been appointed Visiting Professor of the trumpet to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Alison Balsom performs a wide range of recital and concerto repertoire, from Albinoni to Zimmermann and performs on both modern and baroque trumpets