This episode of The Trombone Corner, featuring British trombonist, composer and arranger Callum Au, is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass and The Brass Ark.
The Trombone Corner is now on video! You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel here:
"Callum Au: Unlock a Career on Your Own Terms"
And, find the expanded show notes, transcript and more photos here
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It was an accident of school band placement that has led to a brilliant musical career, and brought Callum Au to our stages and speakers. Because he could reach the sixth position when other kids couldn't, Callum's music teacher suggested the trombone, and the rest is history.
The National Youth Jazz Orchestra gave Callum a practical education in arranging, writing around 120 charts, hearing them played immediately, and learning what worked in real time. Callum credits much of his growth not just to formal lessons, but to sitting next to experienced players like Jon Stokes and Andy Flaxman and learning from their sound, phrasing, etiquette, and professionalism. Indeed, you'll never guess what he studied for his university degree!
Today, Callum is a leader and inspiration himself, collaborating with international artists on Grammy-winning albums, and writing and recording his own material, including the stunning new release, Sing Seven Seas.
Our conversation today also unlocks the secret of arranging and transcribing: the surest path to a sustainable, successful and influential career.
And check out the latest episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpeter James Davison, a frequent collaborator with Callum Au.
About Callum Au:
Callum Au is a British composer, arranger, orchestrator, and trombonist. He writes music across a wide range of genres, with a particular passion for big band and large jazz ensemble music. He is highly regarded for his stylistic awareness and versatility, and has worked with some of the world's biggest artists.
Over the past fifteen years, Callum has established himself as one of the busiest arrangers in the world. He has had the privilege of writing music for many international artists including Quincy Jones, Jamie Cullum and RAYE, and ensembles including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the WDR Funkhaus Orchestra, and the Danish Radio Big Band. In 2021 he arranged two songs for Michael Bublé's Grammy winning album 'Higher'. More recently, he contributed four arrangements to Dua Lipa's 'Live from the Royal Albert Hall' and wrote the vast majority of the critically acclaimed 2024 BBC Concert Orchestra Disco Prom.
Callum is also active as a composer, with his flair for arresting melodies and lush complex harmony proving popular with audiences and musicians alike. Recent commissions include works for Inner City Brass, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and Bone a-fide Trombone Quartet, and groups as diverse as the BBC Concert Orchestra and the SWR Big Band have performed his original music.
Callum's latest release is Sing Seven Seas, a product of an audacious seven‑day recording marathon, where Callum united more than eighty extraordinary artists to create a vibrant double album. The album was released on June 1st, 2026, and showcases four years of original writing crafted specifically for these musicians and the remarkable things they can do, capturing the energy, colour, and imagination that define Callum's musical world.
Episode Links:
Bob Reeves Brass Events and Appearances:
- Joy Brass, September 17-24, Tokyo Japan
http://joybrass.com
email to sign up: tp@joybrass.co.jp - Virtuosity Music, October 9-10, Boston, MA
- Greg Black Mouthpieces, November 6-7, Mount Holly, NC
- NCMEA Conference, November 8-9, Winston-Salem, NC
Podcast Credits:
