Kirsty Abbotts

Smith-Watkins Artist Kirsty Abbotts enjoys a reputation as one of the outstanding cornet soloists of her generation.

Kirsty began playing the piano at the age of six in her hometown of Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire and at the age of nine, started playing the cornet with Shipston Town Junior Band. 

By 15, she had become principal cornet of the Senior Band and led them to two National Finals before moving to study music at Huddersfield University. During that time, Kirsty was also a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain for three years.

Kirsty studied under the well-known cornet player and former principal cornet of the Black Dyke Band, Phillip McCann. Under Phillip’s tuition Kirsty achieved an LTCL Diploma in Performance, BA (Hons) in Music and a Master’s in Musical Performance. 

Whilst studying at Huddersfield, Kirsty joined the Sellers College Band, which became Sellers Engineering and finally Sellers International. During 13 years with Sellers, Kirsty progressed through the ranks and became principal cornet in 1995. She was awarded the Best Principal Cornet at Spennymoor Entertainments Contest and gained third prize in the British Open Solo Championships in 2000.

In 2002 Kirsty made the move to Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band and has won many awards since: British Open Cornet Champion 2003; Best Principal Cornet Prize at Brass in Concert in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2013; second in the British Open Solo Championships 2004; Best Instrumentalist Mineworkers Contest 2005; Best Principal Cornet Land o’Burns Contest 2005; Best Soloist Grand Shield 2006 and 2016; Best Soloist Scottish Open in 2006; Best Instrumentalist English Nationals 2009; Best Soloist Yorkshire Regional Championships 2010; Soloist Prize Brass in Concert 2011 and 2013, and Mineworkers Best Soloist 2013. 

Kirsty was also awarded the Best Instrumentalist whilst leading Carlton Main Frickley to victory in the Yorkshire Regional Championships in 2015, conducted by Phillip McCann and in March 2016, was awarded Best Principal Cornet at the same contest.
Kirsty was awarded the Harry Mortimer Best Principal Cornet Award at the 2017 and 2018 Brass in Concert Championships and the soloist award in 2019.

In 2006 Kirsty recorded her first solo CD Soliloquy and ten years later, in collaboration with Phillip McCann, A Search for Peace. 

In 2022 Kirsty moved to the Hammonds Band and achieved the best instrumentalist at the Yorkshire Regionals for the third time and the solo prize at Brass in Concert for the fourth time. 

In 2026 Kirsty joined the renowned Grimethorpe Colliery Band on flugelhorn.