An introduction to the fast-rising Nigerian-Scottish trumpeter Aaron Akugbo, who has performed with Chineke!, at the BBC Proms and more
An introduction to the fast-rising Nigerian-Scottish trumpeter Aaron Akugbo, who has performed with Chineke!, at the BBC Proms and more.
Who is Aaron Akugbo?
Aaron Azunda Akugbo, to give him his full name, is a young trumpeter of Nigerian-Scottish descent who’s already making big waves in the classical music landscape, having performed with the likes of Chineke!, the Philharmonia Orchestra and more.
How old is Aaron Akugbo?
Akugbo was born in 1998.
And where is Aaron Akugbo from?
He is of Nigerian-Scottish descent, and grew up in Edinburgh.
Who are Aaron Akugbo’s musical influences?
Akugbo was classically trained, but cites the great jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong as his biggest musical inspiration.
Where did he study?
Aaron Akugbo studied at the Royal Academy of Music. He was also principal of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
And which orchestras has Akugbo played with?
He has performed with some of the UK’s most prestigious orchestras including the Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras.
He also performed the Haydn Trumpet Concerto with Chineke!, Europe’s first black and minority ethnic orchestra, at the Royal Festival Hall in 2020.
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In fact, Aaron has made numerous appearances with Chineke!, including at their BBC Proms debut in 2017, which also featured cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. He also took part in the orchestra’s tour of Europe, which featured performances in some of the continent’s most famous concert halls – such as the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Kölner Philharmonie.