Craig Lutton

Craig Lutton is a percussionist and timpanist from County Antrim, Northern Ireland. He is currently living in London and has recently graduated with BMus Hons in Music Performance under the tutelage of Mick Doran (English National Opera), Marney O’Sullivan (BBC Concert Orchestra), Gillian McDonagh and Steve White at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. He was awarded the Adams Collins prize for best first year percussionist. In November 2014, during his second year studies at Trinity, Craig performed with the English National Opera (ENO) in their production of Puccini’s ‘La Boheme’ and has since performed two more shows of this particular opera in a more recent production with the ENO in November 2015. During his final year at Trinity Laban he performed the Panufnik Concertino for Timpani and Percussion. He has since performed numerous operas with Chelsea Opera Group and London International sinfonia in Cadogan Hall. Most recently Craig has toured South East England with Surrey Opera performing Stephen Fry & Louis Mander's world premiere 'The Life to Come'. In August 2017, Craig performed the xylophone solo 'On the Track' at the Belfast Tattoo in the SSE Arena. As an orchestral percussionist, Craig has gained a vast experience of repertoire by performing with several orchestras in London, Northern Ireland and Portugal where he was principal timpanist of the Atlantic Coast International Orchestra. He enjoys working with a vast array of conductors such as Garry Walker, Martin Andre, Takuo Yuasa, Diego Mason, Gerry Cornelius, Jessica Cottis, Rebecca Miller, Graham Ross, Nicholas Smith to name but a few. He regularly performs with Chelsea Opera Group, Salomon Orchestra, Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, Fulham Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Vitae. Of particular note, he featured in the BBC Radio 3 recordings of the Varese 'Total Immersion Day' at the Barbican. Attending the County Antrim Youth Orchestra weekly was a stepping stone to the Ulster Youth Orchestra (UYO) where he was a member from 2009-2015. He was appointed UYO principal percussionist 2012-2015 where he performed a duet with Sir James Galway at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in a joint Prom with the Ulster Orchestra. In 2010, Craig won the title ‘Northern Ireland Young Musician of the Year’ playing timpani at Queens University Belfast. In 2012, he has been awarded the Individual Artists Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Young Artists bursary 2010-2014. At seven years old he joined Kellswater Flute Band, developing an interest in military music and with the inspiration of a musical family, music began to form an integral part of his life. As a percussionist in Kellswater Flute Band (world champions 2010) he has represented Northern Ireland in Gibraltar, Limerick, Troon, London and Gran Canaria. Over the past number of years, Craig has had experience performing with the Central Band of the Royal Air Force Band of Her Majesties Royal Marines, and several military bands from the Corps of Army Music including the Band of the Irish Guards and Royal Irish Regiment. A keen admirer of Scottish Pipe Band drumming has lead Craig to join The London Irish Rifles Pipes and Drums in which he has performed at the Lord Mayor’s show. During the latter years in school, he formed a Drum Corps called ‘Lightning Drum Corps’ and of particular note was their participation on a TV broadcast on BBC2 ‘Santer’ and at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in Waterfront Hall, Belfast. Craig has also appeared on BBC1, RTE, and gave live radio interviews on BBC Radio 3 and Radio Ulster. Alongside classical, military and his love for the snare drum, folk music also plays a big part in his life. ‘Fiddlesticks’ is a duo where his wonderfully talented sister Rachel Lutton playing violin is accompanied by Craig on percussion, performing at events throughout the province. He also enjoys playing Drumkit and Cajon with the six-piece folk band ‘Trading With Craig’ in venues across London. As a proud Northern Irish citizen he is a lifelong fan of the Northern Ireland Football team, bass drumming at Euro 2016 and at International matches across Europe.