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Alison Balsom

Alison Balsom, English trumpet player and educator

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Born
October 7, 1978
Age in 2026
48
Zodiac sign
Libra
Birth year
1978

About Alison Balsom

Alison Louise Balsom, Lady Mendes, is a retired English trumpet soloist. She is an arranger, producer, and music educator. Balsom was awarded Artist of the Year at the 2013 Gramophone Awards and has won three Classic BRIT Awards and three German Echo Awards, and was a soloist at the BBC Last Night of the Proms in 2009 and finally in 2025. She was the artistic director of the 2019 Cheltenham Music Festival. In 2006, Balsom won "Young British Classical Performer" at the Classical BRIT Awards and was awarded the 'Classic FM Listeners' Choice Award' at the Classic FM Gramophone Awards. She won "Female Artist of the Year" at the 2009 and 2011 Classical BRIT Awards.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Alison Balsom timeline

  1. In 2006, Balsom won "Young British Classical Performer" at the Classical BRIT Awards and was awarded the 'Classic FM Listeners' Choice Award' at the Classic FM Gramophone Awards.
  2. She won "Female Artist of the Year" at the 2009 and 2011 Classical BRIT Awards.
  3. Balsom was awarded Artist of the Year at the 2013 Gramophone Awards and has won three Classic BRIT Awards and three German Echo Awards, and was a soloist at the BBC Last Night of the Proms in 2009 and finally in 2025.

The world when Alison Balsom was born

Alison Balsom was born in 1978. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1978

  • #1 song"Shadow Dancing" – Andy Gibb
  • Top movieThe Deer Hunter
  • Top TV showLaverne & Shirley
  • Best-selling bookThe World According to Garp – John Irving

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentMuhammad Ali wins heavyweight title for the third time
  • Top headlineCamp David Accords — Egypt and Israel sign peace agreement
  • Technology milestoneFirst spam email sent
  • Defining fadDisco and Saturday Night Fever
  • Notable inventionGarfield comic strip debuts
  • World population4.30 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonWashington Bullets (NBA)
  • U.S. population222.6M

1978 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Alison Balsom's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19782026
Gas$0.63$3.45/gal
Average home$55,700$435,000
Average income$17,730$67,500
Minimum wage$2.65$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.34$11.95
Postage stamp$0.15$0.73
Population222.6M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.