Composer Simon Dobson has been racking up the air miles in recent months, working in Norway, Switzerland and Belgium, where his growing reputation as a top flight adjudicator saw him be part of their National Finals judging team with Dr Peter Meechan and Ian Brownbill.

Swiss return

And the travelling doesn’t stop either as he told 4BR: "In the next few weeks I’m returning twice to Switzerland twice to conduct a concert series with the Harmonie Shostakovich Wind Orchestra, featuring music as diverse as hip hop and Holst."

He will then return to Norway to prepare Oslofjord Brass for the forthcoming Norwegian National Championships in Bergen, although his travels will mean that he will unfortunately miss the RNCM Festival of Brass and Fairey’s performance of his ‘A Symphony of Colours’ and the European premiere of his new trombone concerto ‘SHIFT’, which will be performed by Peter Moore.

The work schedule is such that I won’t be able to make it back to Manchester to hear the performances at the RNCM Festival, although I’m sure both will be fantasticSimon Dobson

Schedule

He added: "The work schedule is such that I won’t be able to make it back to Manchester to hear the performances at the RNCM Festival, although I’m sure both will be fantastic."

Looking ahead

He concluded: "I’m already looking ahead to adjudicating at the Swiss National Quartet Championships where my new work 'Riot' is the set work for the quartet section, as well as putting the finishing touches to my Tuba Concerto for Nick Etheridge called 'Definite Damage' which will feature at this year’s International Tuba and Euphonium Conference in Austria."

All this and a new website, more new works and an exciting album – no wonder the Cornishman is finding life in an airport lounge becoming ever more familiar...