about TRSC
The Royal Sackbut Collective is a historical brass chamber ensemble founded at the heart of the Royal College of Music brass department in 2024. Under the tutelage of the distinguished Sue Addison (as both an ensemble and as individuals), the group has showcased its passion for promoting all the artistic possibilities that the historical trombone offers, from rediscovering rarely performed early works to commissioning new pieces.
As a collective, they enjoy the flexibility of various instrumentations, often collaborating with guest artists, including singers and percussionists. Since their debut concert at the Salvation Army’s Regent Hall in London, they have become esteemed members of the Royal College of Music's Historical Performance department.
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In recognition of their growing profile, TRSC has been selected as an Emerging Artist for the Brighton Early Music Festival 2025/26. The members of TRSC are keen and skilled musicians who enjoy busy freelance careers whilst finishing their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
musicians of TRSC
Jonathan Stevens
Jonathan Stevens (North West, UK) is studying his Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music as a Musicians’ Company Artist (Lambert Scholar). He will continue his studies next year with support from Help Musicians and the Charlotte Fraser Foundation, studying with Byron Fulcher, Lindsay Shilling, Amos Miller, and Sue Addison. Stephens has performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Southern Pro Musica, and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
A graduate of Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Stephens was a Newling/Trinity College Scholar and received the Trinity Wind, Brass and Percussion Silver Medal upon graduation in 2023. He also won the Historically Informed Performer Competition in 2022, performing with a sackbut quartet, and was awarded the Robert Lewin Award in addition to a scholarship from Awards for Young Musicians (now UK Young Sounds).
alto + tenor sackbut
07480 929895
Buchen Zhao
Buchen Zhao (Beijing, China) is studying his Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music, with Rupert Whitehead and Becky Smith. He completed his Bachelor of Music at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he studied with Roger Cutts. He is a very keen historical trombone player, and has studied sackbut with Sue Addision for the past five years.
Additionally, he runs the Scharlachrot Kammermusik, a music company and record label based in Beijing, Shanghai, and London, where he serves as both a music technologist and manager. Scharlachrot Kammermusik independently develop original works and arrangements, produce albums, and organise concerts, with a specialty in multimedia and interactive musical presentations.
alto + tenor sackbut
07360 588608
Pau Hernández
Pau Hernández (Catarroja, Spain) completed both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Performance with honours and distinction respectively at the Royal College of Music, where he was supported by the ABRSM EU Postgraduate Scholarship. He studied predominantly with Byron Fulcher and Lindsay Shilling, developing a busy freelance practise alongside his degrees. As a Yamaha Music Europe Foundation Scholar, Pau has engaged in major orchestral training schemes, such as the Philharmonia Instrumental Fellowship and the BBC Symphony Orchestra Pathway.
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Hernández’s has performed with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been on trial for Second Principal Trombone with the Ulster Orchestra and has twice won Second Prize in the British Trombone Society Sackbut Competition (2022, 2024).
alto + tenor sackbut
07729 799771
Jess Bull Anderson
Jess Bull Anderson (Birmingham, UK) is studying her Bachelor of Music and the Royal College of Music with Rupert Whitehead, Becky Smith, and Byron Fulcher. She completed her Diploma of Higher Education at the Royal Academy of Music with a performance scholarship, and is an alumni of Chetham’s School of Music. She is mentored by Emily White through GALSI’s scheme, and recently attended the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble Academy in Florence.
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Bull Anderson has performed at major venues, such as the Barbican, Ronnie Scott’s, and Birmingham Symphony Hall, with artists including Lisa Simone, Hermeto Pascoal, Bob Mintzer, and Martin Carthy. Alongside performing, she is a dedicated educator and advocate for arts accessibility, with training from Nordoff-Robbins and Spitalfields Music. She has developed creative outreach projects with the Multi-Story Orchestra, English Touring Opera, Royal London Hospital, and Choir With No Name. Her ongoing study of the Alexander Technique informs her holistic approach to her creative practise as a musician, artist, and poet.
tenor sackbut
07748 682853
Andrew Cowie
Andrew Cowie (London, UK) is studying his Master of Performance in harpsichord at the Royal College of Music, with Terence Charlston, Robert Woolley, and Jane Chapman. He completed his Bachelor of Music in trombone at the Royal Academy of Music.
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Cowie has performed at major venues including Buckingham Palace, Southbank Centre, Duomo di Cremona, and the Salzburger Dom. He has appeared with Aurora Orchestra (London Handel Festival), the London Bach Society, and toured internationally with Girton College Choir – after which they achieved 8th on the UK/Worldwide Classical Charts. A Parnassus Scholar supported by the Charles Colt Scholarship and Help Musicians’ Ian Fleming Award, Andrew’s work bridges historical and contemporary practice. His current project, Chantefable, with soprano Mariana Rodrigues, blends improvisation, poetry, and song to create an innovative sound world.
harpsichord + tenor sackbut
07341 876223
Jonny Lovatt
Jonny Lovatt (Cambridgeshire, UK) is studying his Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music, with Josh Cirtina. He also completed his Bachelor of Music at the same institution, studying with James Buckle. He is currently on trial with the Hallé Orchestra.
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Lovatt has performed at The Coliseum and Garsington Opera, toured with the European Youth Brass Band in Lithuania, and premiered a concerto written for James Buckle. He is also a two-time winner of the British Trombone Society Trombone Choir Competition.
bass sackbut
07398 825234
Jose Teixeira
José Teixeira (Porto, Portugal) is studying his Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music, with James Buckle, Byron Fulcher, Paul Milner, and Peter Smith. He previously completed his undergraduate studies at the same institution, earning several distinctions and awards. He is supported by the Drake Calleja Trust, the London Symphony Orchestra Conservatoire Scholarship, and the Robert Anderson Music Trust.
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Teixeira’s achievements include First Prize in the British Trombone Society Trombone Choir Competition (2023) and an Honourable Mention in the International Trombone Association’s Emory Remington Competition (2024). He has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and English National Opera.
bass + tenor sackbut
07719886200