Sub-principal Trumpet Katie Smith
When did you join the RSNO?
March 2024.
Where are you from?
London.
Where did you study?
Guildhall School of Music and Drama for my undergrad then Royal Academy of Music for my masters degree.
What do you enjoy most about being in the RSNO?
I really love how friendly the orchestra is and that the job allows me to travel and see so many different parts of Scotland.
Tell us your favourite RSNO story/memory so far.
I really enjoyed the Orchestra’s tour to Salzburg in October 2023. I particularly enjoyed performing Chris Gough’s encore Eightsome Reels 2.0.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not playing with the Orchestra?
I really enjoy paddleboarding and have been enjoying getting to grips with it in this colder climate. I also enjoy spending time with my sausage dog Eddie.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I can quote the majority of the TV show Friends.
If you could have dinner with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be, and why?
Louis Prima – a trumpet player and entertainer from New Orleans. He was most famous for his role in Disney’s The Jungle Book as the orangutan King Louie. I went to an exhibition about him at the New Orleans Jazz museum and thought he had the most interesting and varied career.
You’re stranded on a desert island. You’re allowed 3 CDs and 1 book. What would they be, and why?
I’d bring a recording of Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz as it’s one of my favourite pieces of music and holds many happy memories for me, Bayview by Project Smok (a Scottish neo-trad trio) and pretty much anything ever written or performed by Dua Lipa. The book I would choose would be Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières.
