| Biography | From the time he first heard the French horn played live at his primary school, Tims ambition was to become a professional musician.
He attended Watford Grammar School for Boys and later moved to The Purcell School. On leaving The Purcell School in 2002 he won a scholarship to The Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he studied for two years with Hugh Seenan.
In 2004 Tim joined The Philharmonia Orchestra as third horn and just over a year later he was appointed Principal Horn of The BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Tim is currently the youngest Principal Horn in any of the UKs major orchestras.
Before realising his dream of becoming a professional musician, Tim gained extensive orchestral experience as Principal Horn with several school, amateur and youth orchestras including The National Youth Orchestra and The European Union Youth Orchestra. In his last year at school, Hertfordshire County Youth Music commissioned Summernights, a composition by Martin Ellerby for French horn and Concert Band which Tim premiered with the Hertfordshire County Youth Wind Orchestra.
In 2002 Tim was the UK finalist in the Paxman International horn competition and in 2004 he won the Royal Over-seas League award for Wind and Percussion and the Philip Jones Memorial Prize for an outstanding brass player.
As an orchestral player Tim has played with all the major London orchestras. He also enjoys chamber music and has performed with many ensembles including The London Sinfonietta, The Nash Ensemble, Fine Arts Brass and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has given solo performances at The Royal Festival Hall, The Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Purcell Room. In 2007 he performed Brittens Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and at the annual festival of The British Horn Society, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Dennis Brains death.
Tim has played in many countries throughout Europe and the wider world including the USA, South America, India and China. Besides playing in most of the major concert venues in the UK, he has played at Buckingham Palace, The Mansion House and Windsor Castle (for the marriage of The Prince of Wales to The Duchess of Cornwall).
He is featured as solo horn on the CD recording of Karl Jenkins Requiem and plays Fantasy for Horn on the Fine Arts Brass CD of Malcolm Arnolds Complete Brass Chamber Music. His own CD Midsummer was released towards the end of 2009 and includes a collection of music arranged for the horn ranging from Bach and Purcell to Morricone and Bernstein.
Now a professor at The Royal Welsh College, Tim is actively involved in coaching and masterclasses for aspiring French horn players. (July 2015) |