Timmy Trumpet
A conservatorium-trained trumpeter from Sydney who brought a live horn to big-room dance music, from “Freaks” with Savage to “Narco” and Tomorrowland.
- Australian DJ, producer and trumpeter born Timothy Jude Smith in Sydney on 9 June 1982.
- Classically trained, with a full scholarship to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
- Breakthrough in 2014 with “Freaks” featuring New Zealand rapper Savage.
Plenty of DJs add a live element to their sets. Timmy Trumpet built a career on one. The instrument he started learning at four is the hook of his shows and of records like “Freaks”, “Toca” and “Narco”.
A horn player first
Timothy Smith took up the trumpet at four, taught by his father. At 13 he was named Young Musician of the Year and won a full scholarship to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Within two years he was leading solo trumpet in the Australian All-Star Stage Band.
His route into dance music went through other people’s DJ sets. He played live trumpet alongside the Stafford Brothers, then taught himself to DJ and started solo shows where he mixed records and played over them. In 2011 he supported Stevie Wonder at the opening of The Star casino in Sydney.
Club charts, then “Freaks”
The early singles did well in Australian clubs. “Sassafras”, with Chardy, topped the ARIA Club Chart in 2012, and “The Buzz”, with New World Sound, went to No. 1 on Beatport and on the ARIA club chart. In 2014 he toured North America on the Bounce Bus Tour with Will Sparks and Joel Fletcher.
The breakthrough came in August 2014 with “Freaks”, featuring New Zealand rapper Savage. It went to No. 1 in New Zealand, No. 9 on the ARIA Top 100 singles chart and No. 1 on Australia’s dance and club charts, and it was later certified gold by the RIAA in the US.
The big-room years
“Toca” (2015, Ultra Music), made with Carnage and KSHMR, turned Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor into a big-room record. “Party Till We Die”, with MAKJ and Andrew W.K., followed on Spinnin’ Records in September 2016, and “Oracle”, his first solo single on Spinnin’, went to No. 1 on Beatport. Other collaborations include “The Underground” with Hardwell, “100” with Vini Vici and “Narco” with Blasterjaxx, which New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz used as his walk-out music in 2021 and 2022. “Anita”, with Armin van Buuren, came out in August 2021.
He was voted Australia’s No. 1 DJ at the InTheMix Awards in 2015 and made his main-stage debut at Tomorrowland, in Boom, Belgium, in 2017.
Zero gravity and the road
On 25 March 2019 he became the first trumpet player to perform in zero gravity, during about six minutes of weightlessness in a project between the European Space Agency and BigCityBeats. The same year he announced a 60-date world tour and released “World At Our Feet”. In February 2021 he launched a weekly radio show, SINPHONY Radio, and at the 2025 Electronic Dance Music Awards he won Club DJ of the Year and Favourite Nightclub Residency.
In the mix
His records are built for peak time: big drops, short breakdowns and a horn line a festival crowd can sing back. They belong with the festival house of Martin Garrix and the stadium sets of Swedish House Mafia.
FAQ
What is Timmy Trumpet’s real name?
Timothy Jude Smith. He was born in Sydney, Australia, on 9 June 1982.
Does Timmy Trumpet really play the trumpet?
Yes. He started at four, taught by his father, and won a full scholarship to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Who is on Freaks by Timmy Trumpet?
New Zealand rapper Savage. Released in August 2014, it reached No. 1 in New Zealand and No. 9 on the ARIA singles chart.
Why is Narco linked to baseball?
New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz used “Narco”, Timmy Trumpet’s track with Blasterjaxx, as his walk-out music in 2021 and 2022.
