Imogen Whitehead : Reviews
TRUMPET / FLUGELHORN
Britten Sinfonia/Norfolk & Norwich Festival
Norwich Cathedral, Saturday 24th May 2025
“The first half of the concert ended with Britten Sinfonia’s principal trumpet, Imogen Whitehead, soloist in Johann Hummel’s popular Trumpet Concerto written in 1803 for Viennese virtuoso, Anton Weidinger. A three-movement work it’s the last movement that allows the soloist to really show off and Ms Whitehead did just that putting in a spirited, dazzling and technically-assured performance offering a host of virtuoso passages which Ms Whitehead sailed through in such a relaxed manner while Hummel quotes the march from Cherubini’s opera, Les deux journées, thereby putting the icing on the cake much to the pleasure and satisfaction of a packed house.”
Planet Hugill (Tony Cooper)
Britten Sinfonia/Magnum Opus Showcase
St Giles Cripplegate, Saturday 2nd November 2024
“First up Anibal Vidal’s ‘Invocacion No 2: a Kintsugi Resurrection’ for trumpet and trumpet and ensemble, performed with great panache by Imogen Whitehead”
Salon Music (Michelle Berridale Johnson)
Britten Sinfonia/Southbank Sinfonia – Side-by-Side
St John’s Smith Square, Thursday 8th January 2024
“…the wonderfully flexible and powerful trumpet playing of Imogen Whitehead”
Planet Hugill (Florence Anna Maunders)
Britten Sinfonia – Handel’s Messiah (arranged by Mozart)
Barbican, Tuesday 12th December 2023
“The Trumpet Shall Sound’ is shared between trumpet and horn in Mozart’s take, yet was restored to trumpet – here, the excellent Imogen Whitehead.”
Seen and Heard International (Colin Clarke)
“It was understandable to ignore Mozart’s enforced changes to “The trumpet shall sound”, especially as it enabled Imogen Whitehead to give a splendidly sonorous account of the trumpet solo.”
The Telegraph (Nicholas Kenyon)
“In the orchestra, outstanding solos from trumpeter Imogen Whitehead and the leader Thomas Gould were the icing on the Christmas cake.”
iNews (Jessica Duchen)
“Principal Trumpet Imogen Whitehead, impeccable in ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’”
BBC Radio 3 (Martin Handley)
Barry Mills – Trumpet Concerto
Caledonia CD
“The most substantial work here is the Trumpet Concerto of 2019, written for the fine soloist on this recording, Imogen Whitehead. It is in five movements, in the second of which the soloist swaps her trumpet for a flugelhorn, a most appealing slow movement I Love My Love. She is finely partnered by the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra.”
Musical Opinion (Robert Matthew-Walker)
“The Trumpet Concerto explores so many different sound possibilities of the instrument using different mutes. The second movement based on the Cornish folksong, I’ll Love My Love is particularly delightful, played so smoothly by Imogen Whitehead on flugelhorn.”
British Music Society (Alan Cooper)
Britten Sinfonia – Handel’s Messiah
Barbican, Saturday 17th December 2021
“focused power and strength in ‘The trumpet shall sound’ complemented by Imogen Whitehead’s fine trumpet playing, a real duet.”
Planet Hugill (Robert Hugill)
“Newby’s moving representation of words and theology, allied to equally fine trumpet-playing (Imogen Whitehead) in ‘The trumpet shall sound’.”
Seen and Heard International (Mark Berry)
Park Lane Group – Recital
St John’s Smith Square, 18th April 2016
“Trumpeter Imogen Whitehead (née Hancock) soared like a seraph”
The Times