Alison Balsom

Alison Balsom, Lady Mendes, OBE (b. 1978) is a celebrated trumpet player, who also arranges and produces music. Balsom grew up in Royston and went to school there. She started playing in the Royston Town Band when she was eight years old and continued until she was 15. She was the soloist at the Last Night of the Proms in 2009. She has won 3 Classic BRIT awards, being the first ever British artist to become Female Artist of the Year at the 2009 Classical BRIT Awards. She was the artistic director of Cheltenham Music Festival in 2019. Balsom is married to the film director Sir Sam Mendes. This life-size Corten steel statue in silhouette is one of a trio. Similar groups representing other characters are being erected in parks and open spaces as part of the Sustrans project (see Sylvia Pankhurst entry).

Location: Junction of Green Street and Melbourn Road, Royston, Hertfordshire.