Violinist
Thomas Gould is a versatile figure who plays electric violin as well as the conventional instrument, and jazz as well as classical music. He is co-leader of the
Britten Sinfonia.
Gould was born in 1983 in London. His older sister,
Clio Gould, 15 years older, is the leader of the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the
London Sinfonietta, and it was she who inspired him to become a violinist.
Gould attended the Royal Academy of Music from age 16, studying with
György Pauk, and in 2009, he was named an Associate of the school. His name began to spread more widely, and in 2011, he toured with the
Australian Chamber Orchestra. He performed with the
Aurora Orchestra, playing
Nico Muhly's Seeing Is Believing on a six-string electric violin and giving the world premiere recording of the work that year on the Decca label, and he served as director of the
Aurora Orchestra in the 2010s.
Gould made his debut with the
Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2012, in a concert conducted by
John Adams, and he has since appeared with major orchestras in Britain, the U.S., and beyond, including the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the
Hallé Orchestra, and the
Riga Sinfonietta. He has played chamber music with the
Nash Ensemble and other groups.
Gould often plays jazz at London's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and he has collaborated with jazz, rock, and pop musicians, including
Brad Mehldau,
Radiohead, and
Rufus Wainwright. For a time, he was a member of the swing quintet
Man Overboard. In the early 2010s,
Gould became the leader of the
Britten Sinfonia; he continues to serve in that position as co-leader with
Jacqueline Shave.
Gould made his recording debut in 2009, performing the violin concerto of
Christopher Ball on the Omnibus album Celtic Twilight. He has recorded for various labels, including Harmonia Mundi, Albion, and Champs Hill, where his 2014 album Bach to Parker reflected the multiplicity of his musical interests. In 2021,
Gould appeared on the
second of a pair of recordings of folk song-oriented music by
Ralph Vaughan Williams on Albion.