Biography

Five By 5 was formed at the Royal Academy of Music in September 2022. The members of the ensemble come from Sweden, Ukraine and the UK. Within three months of the ensemble being formed they were winning prizes for the Musicians’ Company in London and have given recitals across London and increasingly further afield, including a debut concert in Stockholm, Sweden last year and three concerts across France in August as part of the Ferrandou Musique Residency, where they will return in September 2025. They are busy now looking to expand the repertoire available for five trumpets, by writing new arrangements themselves and creating new commissions.

Volodymyr Bykhun, from Ukraine, studied at the National Academy of Music in Lviv for four years and now continues his education at the Royal Academy of Music. He was principal trumpet in the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and has worked with orchestras such as the Lugansk Philharmonic Lviv National Philharmonic.

Malte Sunding‘s musical journey began during his choirschool days, shaping his path as a trumpeter. Now having graduated from the Junior Academy in Stockholm and moved to London, Malte revels in uncovering parallels between his love for sports and his musical performances.

Sigrid Bengtsson’s musical journey began aged 11, winning the brass category solo prize in the Stockholm International Music Competition 2014. More recently she has moved into the orchestral scene with a notable appearance as principal trumpet at the Baltic Sea Festival 2023.

Ellinor Bengtson (born 2004) has already been sharing big stages with famous artists, like Benny Andersson, but also had great success in competitions as well as solo recitals. In 2022 Ellinor performed the Carnival of Venice in the Stockholm Concert Hall together with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sasha Canter won the Brass Category Final of the 2022 BBC Young Musician competition, and was in the Grand Final at Bridgewater Hall, where he performed Alexander Arutunian’s Trumpet Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, televised by the BBC and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He has recently been named as a Classic FM rising star 2025.

Award: RAM Brass Ensemble Prize 2025

Photo Credit: Vladyslav Kurliets