From the Archives: John Jacob Solomon

John Jacob Solomon (2 August 1856 – 1 February 1953, Member 00317)

A trumpeter whose long association with RSM has continued for generations.

Printed photograph portrait of Solomon by John Deane Hilton (1855-1901).

The photographer’s address of the period 1880-1885 appears on the reverse.

Solomon was born in Shoreditch, his father a “lead pencil maker”. Solomon joined the RSM on 4 July 1880 and married Louisa Symmons (d.1944) on 16 November 1881 at the Hambro’ Synagogue in Fenchurch Street, London. He had studied with Thomas John Harper (1816-1898, Member A397) at the Royal Academy of Music and, for more than 50 years from 1894, he was a professor of trumpet at the RAM too, teaching several generations of trumpeters; some of his students, such as Henry Hall (1898-1989) and Jack Jackson (1906-1978), became famous dance band leaders.  

Photograph of Solomon; 1938

Solomon was one of the founder members of the London Symphony Orchestra and the last surviving musician who had played in the orchestra at Henry Wood’s first promenade concert which had taken place at the Queen’s Hall on 10 August 1895. 

In 2011, one of his great grand-daughters, with two of her sisters, presented a bronzed bust of Solomon to RSM: he is depicted head and shoulders, facing forward, wearing a wing collar and bow tie. 

Bronzed bust of John Jacob Solomon (1856-1953) by Desirée A.V. Bishop [née Solomon]; 2011. Commissioned by Howard Moss (the husband of Barbara, one of the artist’s sisters) and donated 22 July 2011 by the sitter’s great grand-daughters.