Thomas Eves is from Christchurch, New Zealand and has been playing trumpet and cornet since the age of six. Brought up playing in the Woolston Brass Band and St Andrew’s College Jazz Band, Thomas has gone on to focus on orchestral trumpet playing and has played with professional orchestras in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Thomas is currently the Principal Trumpet of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and has held Acting Associate Principal Trumpet contracts with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in early 2013 and 2014.
In July 2012, Thomas completed a Master of Performance with Distinction at The Royal College of Music in London. Thomas received the Herbert Samuel Prize for Trumpet and the Brodie Prize for Senior Brass and was generously supported as a RCM Jane Barker Scholar, as well as New Zealand scholarships including The Patricia Pratt Scholarship, Dame Malvina Major Arts Excellence Awards and Kiwi Music, Anne Reid Memorial Trust and Keith Laugesen Music Scholarships. He is also grateful for support from Adrienne, Lady Stewart and Elizabeth Edgar. He gained his Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours in Performance Trumpet at Canterbury University in Christchurch.
During his time in London, Thomas won a trial for Principal Trumpet of The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and performed as a soloist with The Philharmonia Orchestra London Chamber Group in a concert trip to Klosters, Switzerland. Thomas was also a part of many notable Royal College of Music projects including playing section principal for Shostakovich Symphony No. 10, Mahler Symphony No. 5, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, and Bruckner Symphony No. 8, playing under Bernard Haitink for Bruckner Symphony No. 8 and Strauss’ Eine Appensinfonie. He has also played under Lorin Maazel as part of The Castleton Festival 2011 in Virginia, U.S. – playing section principal in multiple programmes including Puccini’s La bohème, Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale and Gershwin classics such as Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Concerto in F.
Thomas has also performed solo recitals in London at Cadogan Hall and in The Elgar Room at The Royal Albert Hall. Back at home, Thomas was runner up in the 2012 Gisborne International Music Competition, the only New Zealander in the finals. In 2013 he won the New Zealand Woodwind and Brass Prize. Thomas is an active teacher around Christchurch and is currently the trumpet teacher at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch School of Music, as well as teaching privately around the city.
Thomas was also a keen basketball player, representing Canterbury and New Zealand at age group levels up until the age of 18.
Baroque Festival: Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
Bold as Brass: Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
Thomas is currently the Principal Trumpet of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and has held Acting Associate Principal Trumpet contracts with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in early 2013 and 2014.
In July 2012, Thomas completed a Master of Performance with Distinction at The Royal College of Music in London. Thomas received the Herbert Samuel Prize for Trumpet and the Brodie Prize for Senior Brass and was generously supported as a RCM Jane Barker Scholar, as well as New Zealand scholarships including The Patricia Pratt Scholarship, Dame Malvina Major Arts Excellence Awards and Kiwi Music, Anne Reid Memorial Trust and Keith Laugesen Music Scholarships. He is also grateful for support from Adrienne, Lady Stewart and Elizabeth Edgar. He gained his Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours in Performance Trumpet at Canterbury University in Christchurch.
During his time in London, Thomas won a trial for Principal Trumpet of The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and performed as a soloist with The Philharmonia Orchestra London Chamber Group in a concert trip to Klosters, Switzerland. Thomas was also a part of many notable Royal College of Music projects including playing section principal for Shostakovich Symphony No. 10, Mahler Symphony No. 5, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, and Bruckner Symphony No. 8, playing under Bernard Haitink for Bruckner Symphony No. 8 and Strauss’ Eine Appensinfonie. He has also played under Lorin Maazel as part of The Castleton Festival 2011 in Virginia, U.S. – playing section principal in multiple programmes including Puccini’s La bohème, Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale and Gershwin classics such as Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Concerto in F.
Thomas has also performed solo recitals in London at Cadogan Hall and in The Elgar Room at The Royal Albert Hall. Back at home, Thomas was runner up in the 2012 Gisborne International Music Competition, the only New Zealander in the finals. In 2013 he won the New Zealand Woodwind and Brass Prize. Thomas is an active teacher around Christchurch and is currently the trumpet teacher at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch School of Music, as well as teaching privately around the city.
Thomas was also a keen basketball player, representing Canterbury and New Zealand at age group levels up until the age of 18.
Baroque Festival: Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Bold as Brass: Christchurch Symphony OrchestraKia Ora Foundation © 2018