Following undergraduate studies at Cambridge, John studied composition at the Academy with trumpet as his second study. He later joined the London Symphony Orchestra and was appointed Principal Trumpet of the Philharmonia from 1976 to 1995. As a soloist, he performed all over the world and, most famously, with Kiri Te Kanawa at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer to a global audience of 750 million people.
He returned to the Academy as Head of Brass from 1992 to 2002, before being appointed Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, a post he held until retirement in 2014.
Academy Principal, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood remembers John:
‘As an Academy alum, teacher, Head of Brass, colleague and friend – not to mention a musician of endless resource – John was a totally remarkable presence in our lives. I can’t really imagine a world without John because he never stopped making something happen: a project, a recording, a community party, a podcast or simply a conversation where he made us feel more alive, even when he was already very ill. What he contributed to music everywhere, and recently in Scotland, will be told in decades to come. He confronted a world of laziness, lack of imagination and care with a need for constructive and dynamic possibility. A world without John Wallace is much the poorer.
'John was a wonderful friend to many of us, and his regular encouragement meant the world. My artistic collaborations with him remain treasurable. His biggest legacy is the way he transformed thousands of lives as teacher, mentor, animateur and curator – all on the back of being a world-class trumpet player who leapt out of a generic career and said something more, and still more, to people in every walk of life. John was a one-off, totally fearless and a polymath supreme.
'I’ll miss him, along with many others for whom he represented the very best of our profession and beyond.’
Head of Brass, Mark David, added:
‘John Wallace was a force of nature. I had the privilege of working alongside him for five years in the Philharmonia Orchestra and every day was an object lesson in trumpet playing, musicality, humility and sheer brilliance of thought.
‘His quiet playing was otherworldly in its beauty of tone and production. So much so, I completely overhauled my embouchure one Christmas break trying to emulate him.
‘During Covid, John gave his time generously giving online classes to Academy brass students, in which he regaled us all with inspiring tales of musicians triumphing over adversity throughout history - just what we all needed to hear.
‘His powerful advocacy for music, musicians and the arts in general never dimmed. As John joins the celestial trumpets, I have a hunch that Gabriel may be moving down the line.’