Louis Dowdeswell

Louis Dowdeswell, a trumpeter based in London, rose to prominence in the 2010s through his command of the upper register and his work as a jazz musician. He landed key positions in multiple big bands and in West End stage productions, while simultaneously cultivating an online audience by sharing big-band arrangements of familiar film and musical themes.

Displaying precocious ability on the instrument, Dowdeswell received scholarships to Wells Cathedral School and the Purcell School of Music. He continued his training at the Royal Academy of Music and completed his degree there in 2016. Private study with Simon Gardner, Mike Lovatt, Wayne Bergeron, and Paul Beniston supplemented his formal education. From 2012 to 2014 he served as lead trumpeter for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and later appeared with the Ronnie Scott Jazz Orchestra, the BBC Big Band, Josh Groban, and additional ensembles. Theater work followed, encompassing West End runs of Guys and Dolls, Aladdin, and Wicked.

On his own, Dowdeswell built a substantial internet following with videos that presented big-band versions of well-known songs from cinema and musical theater, among them the themes from Rocky, Frozen, and Game of Thrones. His first album of big-band music, High Score, appeared in 2018.