Biography
Richard Hosford was appointed Principal Clarinet of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1994, is Principal Clarinet and a founder member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, is a founder member of The Gaudier Ensemble and joined the Nash Ensemble in 1998. Richard is Professor of Clarinet at Royal College of Music.

Before taking the post of Principal Clarinet with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1994 Richard was Principal Clarinet of the London Phiharmonic Orchestra.

As a founder member and Principal Clarinet of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Richard has toured the world, performing as soloist in the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, Germany and the UK under Claudio Abbado, Oscar Schumsky, Michael Tilson-Thomas, and Alexander Schneider with whom he recorded the Mozart Clarinet Concerto for the COE Records label. He has appeared as soloist with the COE at the South Bank and at the Barbican Centre in London. In addition to further solo appearances with the COE playing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in Ferrara, Italy with Alexander Schneider, and at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London with Sir Colin Davis, he has performed the Weber Clarinet concerto at the Kammermusiksaal der Philharmonie in Berlin and the Nielsen Concerto with Paavo Berglund in Ferrara and Cologne.

Richard is a committed chamber musician. With the Wind Soloists of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe he has toured in Germany, Italy, the Far East, the USA and the UK, and recorded most of the repertoire for wind ensemble.

Richard has recorded the Mozart and Copland concertos with COE and Alexander Schneider, and in 1997 performed the Nielsen Concerto with Paavo Berglund in Ferrara and Cologne. As a chamber musician, Richard has recorded all the major repertoire for wind ensemble with COE Wind Soloists, and all the major chamber works by Poulenc with the Nash Ensemble.

Richard's recordings with Hyperion Records include
• Camille Saint-Saens (1835 - 1921) The Nash Ensemble
• Schubert: Octet D803
• Vaughan Williams: The Early Chamber Music
• Brahms: Complete Trios
• Francaix: A huit, Divertissement & Clarinet Quintet
• Strauss Dances

Orchestral Work
Orchestras: Academy of St Martin In The Fields, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Gaudier Ensemble, London Chamber Orchestra, Nash Ensemble of London, National Youth Orchestra. Sessions: Cool Music Ltd, George Hamer, Graeme Perkins, Isobel Griffiths.

Richard's orchestral work also includes the London Philharmonic Orchestra (principal clarinet), Domus (chamber ensemble), Florestan Piano Trio and Gaudier Ensemble.

Education
Richard was born in Dorset 1960. Richard's graduate studies took place at Royal College of Music (1979 - 1983).

Prizes and Awards

• Tillett Trust Award (1984)
• Park Lane Group's Young Artist Series (1984)
• RCM Scholarship (1979)

Teachers: John McCaw, Thea King

Richard joined Morgensterns in October 1984

Richard's web profile was last updated 16th Nov 2008