ROD FRANKS, principal trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra,
studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where his teachers
included Philip Jones and was awarded the Hiles Gold Medal in 1977. In the
same year, he was appointed principal trumpet of the Bergen Philharmonic
Orchestra a post he held for seven years. During this he was soloist with
the Orchestra every season, conducted a number of concerts and founded the
Norwegian Brass Band Club and Championships.
In 1983, Philip Jones invited Rod to become principal Trumpet of the
Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and he maintained a busy free-lance schedule
until 1989, when he joined the London Symphony Orchestra becoming principal trumpet in 1990.