John Hopkins

John started playing trombone at the age of seven and quickly became a member of various wind, jazz and orchestral groups. He spent six years in Derbyshire County Wind Band and Orchestra and during his time at university in Portsmouth, played regularly with the Royal Marines School of Music. John finally joined a brass band after graduating in 2002 and spent five years with Kibworth on solo trombone, winning the first section national finals in 2006. He joined Virtuosi GUS in the summer of 2007 on second trombone.

John is married to Sarah (band contest secretary) and lives just outside Loughborough. He works as a community pharmacist on the Derbyshire / Leicestershire border.