Born in Melbourne, Joel Walmsley was raised in a musical family and developed a love for music as a member of the Young Voices of Melbourne Children’s Choir. In his early years, Joel discovered his uncle’s dusty old trumpet and after terrorising the eardrums of the household, it was decided that he would begin lessons. Joel’s love for the trumpet grew quickly and he was particularly influenced by the electrifying playing of Geoffrey Payne with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
The heroic character and versatility of the trumpet inspires Joel in his performances, and he enjoys exploring and highlighting the vocal nature of his instrument. He developed his musicianship in several programs for young musicians including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellowship, The Aspen Music Festival and the various Australian Youth Orchestra programs. Joel has performed with the Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmanian and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, as well as Orchestra Victoria and the Auckland Philharmonia. In 2023 he made his professional solo debut with the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra.
Joel has completed a Bachelor of Music with Honours and a Masters of Orchestral Performance at the University of Melbourne, where he studied with Joel Brennan, Mark Fitzpatrick, Rosie Turner, Shane Hooton and Owen Morris. He also spent three years at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) under the tutelage of Yoram Levy and David Elton.
