Welcome to Simon Johnson, our new Principal Trombone

At what age did you start playing your instrument, and what made you choose it? Were there any memorable early experiences that made you realise you wanted to do this as a career?

The first instrument I learned was actually the violin that my Mum started me on when I was about five. Once I’d heard Pictures at an Exhibition at about age six I knew I wanted to play the trombone. Listening to the RLPO at King George’s Hall in Blackburn, I turned round to my Mum (who’d taken me along to hear my Dad play) and said ‘I want to play one of the noisy ones at the back’. That was me…

Do you have any heroes on your instrument?

I was lucky enough to hear Don Lusher live when I was quite young and always had that kind of sound in my head when I was staring off along with Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller. Bill Watrous and Carl Fontana were often in my tape deck. Latterly I’ve loved listening to Gordon Campbell and Mark Nightingale also.

To be honest I’ve been so lucky from being very small to have wonderful teachers who have all left a lasting impression. Listening to Christian Lindberg, Joe Alessi, Jörgen van Rijen have all helped me get where I am today.

If I can stray slightly from ‘my’ instrument I must just mention possibly my biggest hero who was Maurice Murphy. I played his old trumpet when I was about six or seven to get me used to playing whilst I got my second teeth and I first heard him play in the BBC Northern with John Gracie. Listening to Maurice when I was in my late teens and 20s really gave me the boost I needed to carry on playing.

What are you most looking forward to in the rest of this LSO season? Any conductors, soloists or repertoire that catch your eye? Any stand-out tour destinations?

There’s not much that I’m not looking forward to if I’m honest. An extensive European tour to kick the year off finished off with a few days in Vietnam is very exciting. Die Frau Ohne Shattem at the Proms. More Janáček with Rattle. Sessions at Abbey Road. Bancroft, Bernstein, Borodin, Brahms. It just goes on and on… wonderful!

If you could go back, what advice would you give your younger self as an aspiring musician?

Eek… learn how to play my scales properly before I was in my twenties. Always try and be constructive in your practice and don’t practise the things you know you can already play.

Are there any other interesting things about you we should know? Do you play any other instruments? Do you have any hidden talents?

I’ve dabbled in a bit of Euphonium in the past but wouldn’t say I ‘play’ it… well about as much as I ‘play’ golf I suppose! I’m awful at the piano… I absolutely love cooking and would say that it’s what I do to relax away from playing.

If you had to pick, what is your favourite piece of orchestral music, and why?

Richard Strauss, An Alpine Symphony… hands down, 100%… It has a little bit of everything for everybody, not just the listener but also the players. It’s a incredible journey through a massive vista of orchestral colours.

What piece of orchestral music would you recommend to someone who has never heard an orchestra before, and why?

My first ‘Album’ of orchestral music had The Firebird on it and to be honest it’s still very special to me. Wonderful orchestral writing, amazing tunes and not too long to lose interest…

Does your instrument have an interesting story or history behind it?

I bought it off eBay for not a lot of money. I’ve had a fair bit of work done to it since, but trombones didn’t used to be all that expensive and I got it imported from the States. It turned up and I am lucky enough that it’s still doing me fine 20 odd years later.