Thomas Gould

Biography —

Described as an artist who “refuses to be defined by a single genre” (The Guardian), Thomas Gould is a violinist with wide-ranging musical interests and a flair for experimentation. His solo repertoire includes many contemporary works, and he has collaborated with some of the leading composers of our time including John Adams, Thomas Adès, Brett Dean, Karl Jenkins, James MacMillan, Nico Muhly and Max Richter.

Gould is leader of the chamber orchestra Britten Sinfonia with whom he often performs as soloist or director. He was formerly the leader and a founding member of Aurora Orchestra. In addition to regularly guest leading orchestras including the CBSO and London Sinfonietta, he is proud to be a member of John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London and has been honoured to play in the prestigious Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Gould also enjoys a longstanding relationship with Sinfonietta Rīga, with whom he recorded Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending on the album Live in Riga.

Jazz has always been a keen interest for Thomas and he is fortunate to have worked with some of the biggest names in jazz including Burt Bacharach, Jacob Collier, Hiromi, Brad Mehldau and Marius Neset. He was the violinist in the popular swing band Man Overboard Quintet with whom he recorded two albums on Champs Hill Records. He has recorded several other jazz releases with artists including Johannes Berauer’s Hourglass, Trish Clowes, Andrew McCormack and Jim Rattigan. Gould curated his own jazz series at Kings Place called Gould Standard inviting long-term collaborators Tim Garland, Kristjan Randalu and Gwilym Simcock among others.

Recent highlights include the première performances with Bruckner Orchester Linz of a new concerto written for him and percussion by Johannes Berauer, a tour of Australia with Omega Ensemble performing Philip Glass’s Violin Concerto No. 2, and a return to Dartington International Summer School to give concerts and masterclasses. Recent and upcoming performances of the 2024/25 season include concerts with Gwilym Simcock at the 2024 Three Choirs Festival and at the 2025 Petworth Festival.

Gould trained at the Royal Academy of Music where he is now a Fellow. He plays a violin made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in 1782.