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Use the tabs below to find out about each section of the orchestra, watch video clips, and read interviews with musicians.
This family needs no fanfare!
Brass intruments can fit in anywhere: orchestras, brass bands, big bands, pop groups - you name it.
The brass family adds a huge amount of power to the orchestral sound.
The trombone is great fun to watch and to play! It is held with one hand while the other hand moves the slide backwards and forwards. The trombonist makes different notes by changing the shape of their lips, how hard they blow and by moving the slide - all at the same time!
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Meet the orchestra
Helen Vollam, Principal Trombone
BBC Symphony Orchestra
How old were you when you first started playing?
I was seven.Why did you choose this instrument?
A brass teacher came to our school with some instruments for us to try - a cornet, tenor horn and a trombone. The trombone was the only one I could get a note out of!Do you play any other instruments?
I also play the alto trombone (a smaller higher pitched trombone), the euphonium and am fairly rubbish at the piano!What do you like most about playing in an orchestra?
It is an incredible feeling when a full orchestra plays a loud triumphant passage in a Richard Strauss tone poem or a symphony by Mahler or Shostakovich, or by contrast some spine-tinglingly quiet chords in a Brahms or Tchaikovsky symphony. The social aspect is a real bonus too. You find all sorts of different characters in an orchestra, which is why the music-making is so interesting. It is a real treat to hear the inspirational playing from your colleagues.Do you play any other kind of music?
I play in a trombone quartet which has a vast repertoire, so its a good opportunity to play music of all styles.What other music do you like?
All sorts. Jazz musicians are a constant source of inspiration.Do you have any other hobbies?
I arrange a lot of repertoire for the trombone quartet which I really enjoy. Its a surprisingly versatile combination. I'm also really interested in cooking.What would you have been if you weren't a musician?
I don't really know. I've always been fascinated by carpentry, despite my unimpressive woodwork skills at school!
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Radio & TV
Most recent
- Available to listenDeborah Bull explores ballet music in late Victorian London, at the music hall theatres.
- Available to listenSara Mohr-Pietsch explores Britten's choral works.
- Available to listenAndrew McGregor explores Mahler's Das klagende Lied.
- Available to listenSarah Walker explores Rachmaninov's choral works.
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