RICHARD WATKINS

Richard Watkins has rapidly become one of the most sought-after horn players of his generation and is well-known as a concerto soloist and chamber music player. He was Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra for 12 years and is currently a member of the Nash Ensemble and a founder member of London Winds and the Transatlantic Horn Quartet.

Richard has appeared at many of the world's most prestigious venues in the UK, Europe and the USA and worked with conductors such as Giulini, Sawallisch, Salonen, Andrew Davis, Elder, Rozhdestvensky and Slatkin.

His extensive discography includes Horn Concertos by Mozart (IMP), Arnold (Conifer), Glière and Dame Ethel Smyth (Chandos) as well as Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante (DG) and Poulenc's Chamber Music for Horn (Hyperion). In recital he regularly performs at the Wigmore Hall with singers such as John-Mark Ainsley, Ian Bostridge and Mark Padmore and with pianists, Julius Drake, Roger Vignoles and Ian Brown.

Richard Watkins is closely associated with promoting contemporary music for the horn. He has given premières of concertos by Maxwell-Davies, Osborne, Lindberg, Muldowney, Le Fanu, Colin and David Matthews. A recording of the Colin Matthews concerto with the Hallé and Elder is due for release later this year. Future commissions will include works for solo horn by Nicholas Maw and James McMillan. In addition he has been involved in numerous premières of chamber works by leading composers, primarily with the Nash Ensemble.

Richard Watkins holds the Dennis Brain Chair of Horn playing at the Royal Academy of Music where he is also a Fellow. He is in great demand for masterclasses both here and abroad.