“One of the UK’s most exciting and versatile guitarists” - BBC Radio 3
There are few musicians who can really be said to defy genre. Tom Gamble is such a musician. With a virtuosic technique and hugely diverse musical output, he is often regarded as being one of the UK's most exciting guitarists and songwriters.
Hailing from London, Tom began his musical journey performing with various bands and as a soloist around the pubs and small venues of South East England. A chance encounter with Tommy Emmanuel then encouraged him to pursue solo guitar further, leading Tom to perform some of his earliest gigs at a small guitar festival hosted by Tommy Emmanuel himself.
Immersing himself in every kind of music and the guitar, Tom ranged from fingerpicking ragtime to country blues, jazz, folk and more. Wishing to take things to the next level, he began to teach himself classical guitar technique with the hope of securing a place to study guitar at a conservatoire.
Sure enough, with hard work and dedication, he was offered a place at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music where he would spend four years studying under the tutelage of Graham Anthony Devine. During this time Tom performed everywhere and anywhere he could, travelling to the USA and throughout Europe to give concerts. He was also awarded first place in The Gladys Puttick Improvisation Competition at Trinity.
Upon graduating, Tom pursude further study abroad. Travelling to North America he was awarded a scholarship to pursue a Master of Music in classical guitar at The University of British Columbia, where he studied under Dr Daniel Bolshoy. During this time he was an active performer throughout Canada and the USA, winning first place at The Northwest Guitar Competition in 2016.
Tom returned back home to London in 2017 and has since based himself there whilst building an internationally recognised career as a performing and recording artist. He has toured as a soloist across three continents, performing on many major stages such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Teatro Municipal El Retiro in Columbia and the Olympics. He has performed solo concerts on board the transatlantic ocean liner Queen Mary 2 and appeared on stage at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.
Tom has released three solo albums, each to their own critical acclaim, and has been featured numerous times on BBC Radio 3.
As a live performer, Tom is known not only for his genre-bending shows, but also for his friendly spoken introductions to the music.
Aside from his career as an instrumental soloist, Tom is an active and prolific songwriter, and has composed and produced a catalogue of original, narrative-driven songs, both under his own name, and as leader of the band The Lost Decades.