Richard began playing the cornet aged 7, and at 9 became the youngest-ever member of the North Yorkshire County Concert Band, performing as soloist with them on a tour of France and Jersey. Two years later he joined the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain where he became principal cornet. Richard won the Junior Cornet Championship of Great Britain for under-19s when he was just 13 and was runner-up in the Brass Solo Championship of Great Britain. Aged 14 he won Barnardo’s Champion Child for Music competition, an award presented from HRH Diana, Princess of Wales. At 15 he came second in Yorkshire Television’s Young Musician of the Year and won the prestigious Alexander Owen Memorial Scholarship for brass players.
Richard studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music whilst continuing to play with top brass bands including Leyland, Fodens and Black Dyke Mills as well as all the RNCM ensembles. Richard won many awards at college including the Countess of Munster Scholarship, the Philip Jones Award for trumpet players and the Martin Scholarship and in 1995 he toured Japan as soloist with the RNCM Wind Orchestra, performing Richard Rodney Bennett’s new Trumpet Concerto.
Richard has played with the BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata, Bergen Philharmonic, Welsh National Opera, Scarborough Spa Orchestra and Pasadena Roof Orchestra. He toured Europe in a ‘Best of Broadway’ production and performed at the World Jazz Festival in Moscow with the Wigan Jazz Orchestra. Currently he performs with several ensembles along the Yorkshire coast.
Richard now brings his music to Whitby in order to inspire the next generation of musicians. When not blowing his own trumpet (sorry!), you’ll find him pacing the streets of North Yorkshire, training for full and half marathons.