St. Paul, Minn. -- British trumpeter Alison Balsom arrived in Minnesota after making her West Coast debut at Walt Disney Concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. If she'd stayed in California, she'd be enjoying temperatures in the upper 60s this weekend. Instead, she's facing a frigid sixteen below.

But the hearty young English woman doesn't mind. She says it's a nice change from the dampness of London. She's looking forward to her first appearance on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" radio show, even if she admits some trepidition in being roped into a skit.

"I'm a musician, not an actor," she jokes.

Balsom has been getting quite a bit of attention for a warm style of playing that seems to take inspiration from woodwinds and the violin.

In Minnesota Public Radio host Julie Amacher's review of the young trumpeter's latest CD, "Caprice," she said that Balsom's warm, rich tone helps accentuate the softer, more mysterious side of the trumpet.

Before meeting Garrison Keillor and the rest of the gang, she shook the snow off her boots, took off her parks and settled in for a cozy chat with MPR's John Birge.

Visit this site for a link to the interview.