Visit this artist's website: http://www.thomasgould.com

THOMAS GOULD is a solo violinist, chamber musician and leader of two of the UK’s most critically acclaimed orchestras, Aurora and Britten Sinfonia. Described as “staggeringly virtuosic” by The Guardian and “a soloist of rare refinement” by The Sunday Times, recent highlights include solo débuts at the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican and Bridgewater Hall, and with the Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and Orchestra of Opera North.

In 2011 Thomas appeared across Australia as soloist and director with the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s ACO2 ensemble, and his acclaimed performances of Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations’ with Britten Sinfonia and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 with Aurora Orchestra were broadcast by BBC Radio 3. His performance of Nico Muhly’s concerto for electric violin ‘Seeing is Believing’ was streamed live from Kings Place, and his recording of it on Decca Classics was voted iTunes Contemporary Classical Album of the Year.

Born in London in 1983, Thomas studied at the Royal Academy of Music with György Pauk graduating with numerous prizes and awards. In 2006 he was selected for representation by Young Classical Artists Trust, leading to recitals at the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre and venues across the UK. In 2008 he was described as “taking the orchestral world by storm” by The Evening Standard, and a year later was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music at the age of just 25.

Thomas performs regularly with chamber music partners including pianists Alasdair Beatson and Danny Driver, cellists Adrian Brendel and Oliver Coates, in Britten Sinfonia’s ‘At Lunch’ series at the Wigmore Hall, and as a guest with the Nash Ensemble. Notable recent chamber performances include the UK premières of Harrison Birtwistle’s Oboe Quartet at the Aldeburgh Festival and Krzysztof Penderecki’s Sextet at Sounds New Festival, and appearances at the festivals of Bath, Plush, Presteigne, Prussia Cove, Spitalfields, Verbier, Spoleto, Lanaudière and the Montreal Bach Festival. In demand as a guest leader and director, Thomas appears with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, City of London Sinfonia, London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Montreal’s McGill Chamber Orchestra.

An unusually versatile performer, Thomas is also a member of swing band Man Overboard and has collaborated on projects with artists as diverse as Radiohead, Sigur Rós, Rufus Wainwright, Brad Mehldau and Sam Amidon among others. Thomas has recorded for Decca Classics, Omnibus Classics, Hyperion and Meridian. He plays a 1754 Gennaro Gagliano violin and a six-string John Jordan electric violin.

Upcoming solo engagements in 2012 include his début with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Adams, performances at the Royal Albert Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham, and an appearance as soloist and director with Sinfonietta Riga.