Al Cannon
Principal Trumpet
Al Cannon joined the GSO as Principal Trumpet in 2025. Cannon has performed with Vancouver Opera, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver New Music, the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, the Turning Point Ensemble, Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, and the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and served as a guest principal trumpet with many BC regional orchestras including the Prince George, Kamloops, and Okanagan Symphonies. Al’s brass students have gone on to training programs at Interlochen, Tanglewood, California Institute of the Arts, the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, the University of Victoria, and the Curtis Institute. He enjoys an active schedule as a freelance performer and educator, ensemble contractor, arranger, and adjudicator. Al also occasionally serves as a conductor for new music projects and orchestral and band ensembles across Canada.
What inspired you to pick up your instrument for the first time, and how has your journey evolved since then?
Both my parents are musicians, and they kindly ensured music has always been an integral part of my life. I've played trumpet since I was about 10 years old, as we had my dad's trumpet around the house.
What is the most challenging piece of music you've ever performed, and what did you learn from the experience?
I perform a lot of newly written music, as I enjoy the challenge of bringing to life new and time-relevant ideas! A few years ago I commissioned a trumpet and piano work from a friend, and that process was *difficult* - and extremely rewarding!
Who is your favourite composer, and what piece of theirs do you love playing the most?
Classically speaking, I am obsessed with Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 5. It's such a wonderfully nostalgic and beautiful and enigmatic work of art, and I can listen to it over and over and over again and constantly learn and am enamoured by something new. Conducting this work is a bucket list item for me!
What role does collaboration play in your musical life, and how has it enriched your experiences?
Instrumental ensemble playing is entirely about collaboration - and collaboration without (or with often very few) words. The experience is very human and yet feels mystical or magical. I forget about time passing when I have the opportunity to collaborate through playing or conducting - for me it's the ultimate way to live in the moment.
Al's Website
https://www.xancannon.com