Matthew Petrie

Matthew has been passionate about the bassoon from an early age. Having taken up bassoon lessons with Katherine Soulsby, he was awarded the Classic FM Young Musician of the Year Award and later went on to receive a scholarship to become an Aldeburgh Young Musician. He then went on to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) under the tutelage of Meyrick Alexander (Head of Woodwind and former Principal bassoon of the Philharmonia Orchestra), Martin Bowen (BBC NOW), David Buckland (BBC NOW), Steve Marsden (WNO) and Chris Vale (WNO). Matthew is currently principal contrabassoon/sub principal bassoon of the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra of London and guest principal Bassoon with the Romanian Philharmonic Orchestra, ‘Filharmonia Oltenia’. Matthew also enjoys performing with smaller ensembles, including his wind quintet, ‘Capital Winds’. In 2011 Matthew opened his specialist bassoon & oboe business, Crook and Staple, which has become one of the leading double reed retailers in the UK. As a result of this, in 2012 Matthew was awarded the Young Entrepreneur Award by the the Welsh Assembly Government, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama & University of Glamorgan Centre for Enterprise in recognition of business excellence.