Bousfield was born in York, England, and began playing the trombone at the age of seven, taught by his father. He became principal trombonist in the National Youth Brass Band at age 13, and for four years, principal with the Yorkshire Imperial Band, during which time they won the British, National and Yorkshire championships. In 1979, Bousfield became the youngest winner ever of the Shell/London Symphony Orchestra Music Scholarship.
Orchestral playing
In 1980 Bousfield joined the European Union Youth Orchestra where he spent two years under Claudio Abbado. He spent only six months studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before he was appointed Principal Trombone at the Hallé Orchestra in March 1983. In 1988 at the age of 24, Bousfield was appointed principal trombonist of the London Symphony Orchestra, taking over from the veteran Denis Wick. At the time, Denis Wick said, "he is an extremely accomplished player and what he is short on by way of experience, if he is, he is bright enough to get together very quickly." In 1999 he won an audition for the principal trombone position with the Vienna State Opera/Vienna Philharmonic, where he performed until leaving in 2012 to devote more time to his teaching and solo careers.
Teaching
Bousfield was appointed professor of trombone at the Royal Academy of Music in 1992, and has since been awarded Honorary Membership. In 2011, he began teaching at the Hochschule der Künste in Bern, Switzerland. His book Unlocking The Trombone Code, which describes Bousfield's pedagogical ideas and methods, has been published by Warwick Music.
Solo performances
In 1984 Bousfield performed Elgar Howarth's trombone concerto with the Yorkshire Imperial Band for broadcast on BBC Radio 3. And in 1985 he played the first British performance of Gunther Schuller's trombone concerto, Eine kleine Posaunenmusik, with the Halle Orchestra conducted by the composer. In March 2007 Bousfield gave the premiere of Stargazer, a concerto for trombone and orchestra by British composer Jonathan Dove, with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. In September 2008, Bousfield gave several performances of Nino Rota's Trombone Concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Riccardo Muti, in Vienna, Tokyo, and Lucerne.
Discography
Solo recordings
Beethoven & Brahms: Trios & Sonatas
Memories and Dreams
Pryor Engagement – with the Black Dyke Band; Nicholas J. Childs, conductor – solos composed by, or famously performed by, the legendary American trombonist Arthur Pryor.
American Classics: Leonard Bernstein – contains Leonard Bernstein's Elegy for Mippy II for solo trombone.
Autumn Leaves: 1993 Festival of Gospel Song – with The Canadian Staff Band; Brian Burditt, bandmaster – contains Erik Leidzen's Concertino and Don Morrison's Consecration for trombone and brass band.
Bourgeois – with the Sun Life Band; Roy Newsome, conductor – contains Derek Bourgeois' Trombone Concerto, Op. 114a for trombone and brass band.
Bourgeois in Brass – with the Yorkshire Building Society Band; David King, conductor – contains Derek Bourgeois' Sonata for Trombone and Brass Band, Op. 156B.
Buxton Orr – With The Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama Wind Orchestra; Bryan Allen or Nigel Boddice, conductor – contains Buxton Orr's Trombone Concerto.
Frank Martin: Ballades – with The London Philharmonic; Matthias Bamert, conductor – contains Frank Martin's Ballade for trombone and orchestra.
Masters of Space and Time – with The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain; Bramwell Tovey, conductor – contains W.A. Mozart's Concerto No. 2 in E Flat Major for trombone and brass band, arr. Mark Freeh.
Music of Elgar Howarth – with Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag; Elgar Howarth, conductor – contains Elgar Howarth's Trombone Concerto for trombone and brass band.
Takashi Yoshimatsu: Symphony No. 4, etc. – with the BBC Philharmonic; Sachio Fujioka, conductor – contains Takashi Yoshimatsu's Trombone Concerto "Orion Machine", Op. 55 for trombone and orchestra.
Orchestral recordings
Bousfield's orchestral recordings are numerous, but the highlights include the "Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace" recording with the LSO, the tenor horn solo in Mahler's 7th Symphony with Michael Tilson Thomas and the LSO, the large trombone solo in Mahler's 3rd Symphony with Pierre Boulez and the VPO, and with the same forces, the live Mahler2nd symphony, particularly the final movement. Also notable are his recordings with the LSO Brass, particularly "American Brass".
