A highly acclaimed international musician with a distinguished career in concert halls and recording studios has been appointed to the staff at the prestigious Repton School.
Dr Simon Desbruslais, whose career as a trumpet soloist has taken him to the stage worldwide, has joined Repton as Assistant Director of Music where he will be inspiring the next generation of musicians.
Simon comes to Repton from his previous post at St Paul’s Girls’ School in China, before which he was Director of Performance at The University of Hull. He has lectured at universities including Oxford, Bristol, Nottingham, King’s College London and Surrey and has been an external examiner for the Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
Educated at King’s College London and the Royal College of Music with a doctorate from Christ Church College, Oxford, Simon has won much praise from critics for his electric live performances as well as extensive recordings with the Signum, Resonus, Nimbus and Chandos labels.
He said: “I am so excited by the unlimited potential for music making that I see at Repton School. I look forward to working with students and the Head of Music to encourage community links and inspire the next generation.”
Simon has been a soloist with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, English Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales and has played live on BBC TV as well as radio. Other highlights include performing three new trumpet concertos in one day in Stratford-upon-Avon, gracing the stage at London’s famous Wigmore Hall and playing what is believed to be the longest piece written for solo trumpet. As a distinguished academic he has also published two books and is working on a third.
Simon’s stellar career started from humble beginnings after his talent was first spotted at a music centre in South-East London.
He said music was important in many ways and he was keen to instil its many benefits in the next generation.
“Music is fundamental to human expression and human connection,” said Simon. “It can help us reach an understanding of the human condition in ways that many other subjects can’t. It also uses different parts of the brain, helping music to profoundly impact mood, memory, creativity, and even physical well-being.
“There’s a really good quote by Dizzy Gillespie: ‘Some days you get up and put the horn to your chops and it sounds pretty good and you win. Some days you try and nothing works and the horn wins.’
“What I like about the trumpet is it keeps you humble. You could be the best player in the world and you are still going to miss something. You can never take a performance for granted.
“I’d like to introduce students to what music can really mean in their lives. It can be a constant companion, no matter what they choose to do with it.
“Through my work at Repton I hope to really make a difference.”
Repton School head teacher Mark Semmence said: “We are thrilled to welcome Simon to Repton’s outstanding Music Department, where his expertise and passion for performance, composition, and academic study will inspire the next generation of musicians.
“At Repton School we are passionate about developing well-rounded students and a first-class musical education is a vital part of that. We look forward to seeing what Simon’s expertise will bring to our school family here at Repton.”
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