I grew up in Orange and began playing my first instrument when I was seven. The conductor of the local brass band taught a bunch of kids for free to provide players for the future, and I was lucky enough to be one of those students. I started playing cornet, which led on to trumpet, and I eventually studied trumpet at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. While I was there, I became interested in the Baroque trumpet, which in turn led me to the cornetto.

Matthew Manchester

Matthew Manchester. Photo © Shaun Ng

I didn’t really enjoy playing Baroque music on the modern trumpet, but once I tried it on the original instrument, it suddenly made a lot more sense, and was much more fun. I began listening to recordings by some of the groups playing on original instruments, and I fell in love with the sound of the cornetto. I was inspired by groups like His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts in London and Concerto Palatino in Bologna, who ended up becoming teachers and colleagues.

The cornetto evolved from lip-blown animal horns, but was later usually made from...