Stephen Dodgson – Concerto for Trumpet & Piano (PDF Download)

In 2011, the Thames Youth Orchestra commissioned Stephen Dodgson to write a trumpet concerto for Imogen Whitehead. She premiered the work in Croatia that summer and has since performed it numerous times around the UK. This concerto is particularly special to Imogen, as it transpired to be Stephen’s final composition, and she played it at the last concert he attended.

Written for trumpet, woodwind trio and string orchestra, the piece begins with an evocative mini-cadenza, before morphing into a light, elegant discourse, replete with fanfare flourishes. In contrast, the poignant second movement – scored simply for trumpet, oboe, clarinet and bassoon – is a reworking of Philip’s Repose, composed by Stephen in memory of his dear friend, the renowned English trumpeter Philip Jones.

Stephen was once hailed as an “English Stravinsky”, a description that feels particularly apt in the quirky finale. The ending is somewhat light-hearted and ‘throwaway’, which is rather characteristic of his music, and hopefully leaves the unsuspecting listener wanting more!

The publisher would like to thank Simon Ferris and Jennifer Walsh for creating the piano reduction, which will make this wonderful piece more widely available to perform.