Laurence Perkins

Laurence Perkins has become one of Britain’s best-known solo bassoonists through his concert performances and a highly successful series of solo recordings for the Hyperion label.. As principal bassoonist with Manchester Camerata, he made a solo CD for Hyperion of concertos by Mozart and Weber conducted by Douglas Boyd which received a five-star rating in the BBC Music Magazine, with the Mozart Concerto being a top recommendation on BBC Radio 3’s 'Record Review' programme. Other solo recordings for Hyperion include 'The Playful Pachyderm' with the New London Orchestra conducted by Ronald Corp, and the Richard Strauss Duet-Concertino plus trios by Beethoven and Glinka, which reached No. 4 in the UK Classical Charts in August 2018. A new Hyperion 2-CD recording project, 'Voyage of a Sea-god' is scheduled for release in Spring 2021. His solo recitals have included the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room in London, Dartington International Summer School, and live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Recitals and chamber concerts overseas have included France, Spain, Portugal, The Azores Islands, Prague, Minsk, Kiev and Nairobi. As a chamber music player, he has worked with some of the world's top musicians, including flautist Philippa Davies, oboist John Anderson, clarinettist Janet Hilton, horn player Susan Dent and pianists Imogen Cooper and Martin Roscoe. Laurence is a bassoon tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and bassoon tutor at the University of York. His educational work has included major national and international projects to promote the bassoon to young musicians - a UK project in Autumn 2015 included 35 solo concerts and presentations around the UK. Laurence has a great enthusiasm for working with amateur musicians - since 2001 he has organised and tutored Wind Serenades chamber music courses throughout the UK, including a regular series of three courses per year at Higham Hall in the English Lake District. He has been a regular bassoon and chamber music tutor at many summer schools and courses in the UK and overseas, including Malvern, Aberystwyth, Sherborne, Dartington, Alston Hall in Lancashire, Kammermusik in Oxford, and Cubertou in the south of France. His other activities include musical relaxation sessions with cancer patients and landscape photography.