Robert Parker - Horn
Robert Parker began learning the horn at the City of Bath Boys' School, continuing his studies at the Trinity College of Music, London, with John Burden, former principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra. He is a Graduate and Fellow of the College. While living in London he was principal horn of the Snape Maltings Training Orchestra, playing for Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Elmer Bernstein, George Malcolm, Rudolf Schwarz, Alexander Schneider and Hugh Maguire.
Since moving to Nottingham he has become established as both a leading horn player and teacher across the East Midlands. He has performed Richard Strauss's Horn Concerto No.1 with the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra and was principal horn in Robert Schumann's Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra. He has appeared as soloist with the Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Nottingham Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Restoration, and in 2007 performed Benjamin Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the tenor James Oxley, conducted by Paul Hale. In the same year he also co-organised the East Midlands Horn Festival which commissioned Sir Peter Maxwell Davies to compose Salute to Dennis Brain for horn ensemble and/or solo horn. More recently he was the horn soloist in Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante K297b conducted by Neville Ward, and is active in a variety of groups, including horn and piano with Antony Clare, wind quintets, brass quintets and other chamber ensembles. Earlier this year, Robert took part in the first performances in Nottingham and Derby of Anton Bruckner's 7th Symphony arranged for ten players, about which Peter Palmer, music critic for the Nottingham Evening Post, wrote: "Robert Parker played a sublime horn". He is in demand as a freelance musician, including with the British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Fono Orchestra, English Philharmonic Orchestra and English Pro Musica, and for the past ten years has played principal horn in the National Festival Orchestra for the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival at Buxton each August. His instrument is a 1977 nickel silver Reynolds Contempora full double horn.
Future concerts include taking part in the first performance of a new arrangement for chamber ensemble of Mahler's 4th Symphony in February 2010.
Robert has been Musical Director of the Nottingham Concert Band since 1993, and in that time has built an ensemble of over 60 members which contributes significantly to the musical life of the city, Nottinghamshire, and surrounding counties. He has also conducted the West Bridgford and Long Eaton Operatic Societies, is Horn Tutor to the Nottingham Youth Orchestra, Nottinghamshire Representative for Trinity Guildhall Music Examinations, and an orchestral convenor for choral societies.
For relaxation he enjoys walking by the River Trent with his wife Ann and their retired greyhound Mr Dibbs, driving them all to France to visit friends, and tending his allotment...