English trumpeter Alison Balsom remains a singular figure. It's not just that she's blonde, slim and stylish; it's the depth of her musicianship that makes her stand out along with the ability to make the solo trumpet seem as natural as a solo violin or cello. Those qualities emerge on Balsom's new album, Italian Concertos, which focuses on concertos originally composed for violin or oboe by Vivaldi, Albinoni, Tartini, Cimarosa and Marcello.

In the Vivaldi Concerto in A Minor, which Balsom transcribed herself, her bright tone, crisp articulation and tasteful trills make you forget it was originally composed for violin. The same is true for the Tartini Concerto in D, whose bravura, fanfare-like octave leaps seem custom-made for the trumpet. Balsom's transcription of the Albinoni Violin Sonata Da Chiesa in D minor shows her ability to navigate both quicksilver passages and supple legato playing in close succession. Marcello's lyrical Oboe Concerto in C, as with the other works originally for oboe, has a particular sense of poise, perhaps because there are already built-in places to breathe.