Leo Brychta is an orchestral trumpet player from Kildare, who has been playing trumpet since the age of 8. He was born into a musical environment, with his parents being professional orchestral players and music teachers. From an early age he learned to play violin and piano, but he found his true calling in the trumpet.

He began his trumpet studies under Eamonn Nolan in the DIT Conservatory, and later continued his studies under David Collins in the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Within 4 years of studying the Trumpet, Leo had won all Junior trumpet category competitions in the ESB Feis Ceoil, along with the overall Brass Rose Bowl Award in 2016. In 2017 he was nominated by international trumpet soloist Rex Richardson, and won the International Trumpet Guild Young Artist Award.

In 2015 he took a greater interest in orchestral performance when he successfully auditioned for the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland. He has since performed with many ensembles as the principal trumpet, namely the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble and the Ulster Youth Orchestra.

Leo has engaged in many masterclasses with players such as Reinhold Friedrich, Mark O’Keeffe and Malcolm McNab. In May 2018 he received a scholarship from Malcolm McNab to participate in his masterclass, ‘Camp McNab’, in Los Angeles, California.

Since moving to Scotland to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Leo has found an interest in Jazz where he performs regularly at events across Scotland. In his 2nd year of his studies he joined the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra and tours with them every month. Leo studies Jazz trumpet as a second study with his teacher, Ryan Quigley.

Recently he has undertaken several semi-professional and freelance opportunities, performing for private ceremonies, brass and orchestral ensembles, namely performing with Vox Amicum Brass at the Dáil Éireann, and with Sinfonua at the Lyric Opera production of Beethoven’s Fidelio.

Going forward, Leo aims to become an orchestral trumpet player, and plans to work towards this during his study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In his 3rd year of his studies, Leo is already managing to achieve this aim by regularly freelancing with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Ulster Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.