Richard Watkins
Horn
Richard Watkins is one of the most sought-after horn players of his generation. He was Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra for twelve years, and is currently a member of the Nash Ensemble and a founder member of London Winds.
Richard Watkins has appeared at many of the world’s most prestigious venues in the UK, Europe and the USA, and has worked with conductors such as Giulini, Sawallisch, Salonen, Slatkin, Sinopoli, Rozhdestvensky, Petrenko, Andrew Davis and Mark Elder.
His extensive discography includes recordings of the Horn Concertos by Mozart, Malcolm Arnold, Glière, Ethel Smyth and Colin Matthews, as well as Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Chamber Music for Horn by Schumann, Schubert and Poulenc. Recent releases include ‘The Romantic Horn’ with pianist Julius Drake for Signum, a Wigmore Live Disc of the Britten Canticles with Mark Padmore, Alexander Goehr’s Horn Trio for NMC, Edward Gregson’s Horn Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic for Chandos and ‘Sea-Eagle’ for NMC featuring works by British composers composed for Richard Watkins.
Richard Watkins has a long association with Aldeburgh Music, first performing Britten’s Serenade with Sir Peter Pears in 1983. Since then he has appeared regularly as soloist and recitalist, performing Concertos by Colin Matthews and Oliver Knussen as well as performances of Britten’s works for solo horn, the Serenade and Canticles. He has been actively involved with the Britten-Pears School, coaching and giving masterclasses. He has also recorded Britten’s Serenade with Allan Clayton and Aldeburgh Strings and recently directed the inaugural Britten-Pears Brass Week.
In recital, Richard Watkins regularly performs with singers such as John Mark Ainsley, Ian Bostridge and Mark Padmore, and with pianists Barry Douglas, Julius Drake, Joseph Middleton, Paul Lewis, Roger Vignoles and Ian Brown.
Closely associated with promoting contemporary music for the horn, Richard Watkins has given premières of concertos by Maxwell-Davies, Osborne, Lindberg, Muldowney, Lefanu, Tansy Davies, Colin and David Matthews. Recent premières have included Colin Matthews’ Horn Concerto and Trio, horn quintets by James MacMillan, David Matthews and Mark-Anthony Turnage and Horn Trios by Huw Watkins, Alexander Goehr and Gerald Barry.
His playing can also be heard on numerous film and television scores and he has collaborated with composers such as Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat, Harry and Rupert Gregson-Williams, Henry Jackman, Thomas Newman, George Fenton and Martin Phipps.
Most recently Richard was the featured horn soloist on the music to The Crown.
Richard Watkins holds the Dennis Brain Chair of Horn Playing at the Royal Academy of Music where he is also a Fellow.