About me...
This photo was taken in 1984 - some fungus has attacked the photo and affected clarity around the jaw area.
Bivalve Horn by Emily

Born in 1958, I became principal horn with the London Sinfonietta in 1977 and stayed with them until 1986. As a freelance musician I now work with many of London's best ensembles and orchestras. I spend much of my time in recording studios playing for film scores, for commercial jingles, for Rock and Pop albums and for Baroque, Classical and Contemporary recordings.

In 1997 I was awarded a research development grant from the Arts Council of Great Britain to explore, with composer Edward Williams, the possibilities of controlling computer-driven transformation of sound during live, partially improvised performance. This work is currently still in progress.

I am professor of Horn at both the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, and I also teach privately at my home in East London. My work at the Royal Academy of Music includes co-directing (with my wife, Dr. Carrie Paechter) and running the Art of Teaching course for the third year brass students.

The instruments I use are made by Engelbert Schmid

An important aspect of my performing career has involved improvisational composition. My work in this field includes three albums of improvised horn music. I have performed improvised music live at the International Horn Festival, Manchester '94, with Richard Bissill and Jonathan Williams. In July 1996.
In the early 80's I trained as an Alexander Teacher with the late, great, Don Burton, and proceeded to teach it exclusively for four years. Since1981 I have worked intensively at applying the principals of the Alexander Technique to the discipline of Horn playing and at finding effective ways to communicate my discoveries and insights into posture and breathing to other players. I have lectured to the Annual Conference for Teachers of the Alexander Technique, 1996, hosted by the Royal Academy of Music, on the practical application of Alexander Technique to the teaching of wind instruments.

This picture was
taken in 1978
soon after I became
principal horn
with London
Sinfonietta