Tim Thorpe

Solo-Hornist des BBC National National Orchestra in Wales Born in 1983, Tim first heard the French horn played live at a concert at his primary school. From that moment his ambition was to become a professional musician. He is now gaining a reputation as one of the most accomplished horn players of his generation. He attended Watford Grammar School for Boys and later moved to The Purcell School. On leaving The Purcell School in 2002 he won a scholarship to The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.In 2004 he joined The Philharmonia Orchestra as third horn and just over a year later he was appointed Principal Horn of The BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Before becoming a professional musician Tim gained extensive orchestral experience as Principal Horn with several amateur and youth orchestras including The National Youth Orchestra and The European Union Youth Orchestra. In his final year at school, Hertfordshire County Youth Music commissioned “Summernights”, a composition by Martin Ellerby for French horn and Concert Band which he premiered with the Hertfordshire County Youth Wind Orchestra.In 2002 Tim was the UK finalist in the Paxman International horn competition and in 2004 he won the Royal Over-seas League award for Wind and Percussion and the Philip Jones Memorial Prize for an outstanding brass player. As an orchestral player he has played Principal Horn with all the major London orchestras and with other UK orchestras including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Northern Sinfonia. He also enjoys chamber music and has performed with many ensembles including The London Sinfonietta, The Nash Ensemble, Fine Arts Brass and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has given solo performances at The Royal Festival Hall, The Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Purcell Room. In 2007 he performed Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and at the annual festival of The British Horn Society, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dennis Brain’s death. In 2012 he premiered a new work by Joseph Phibbs for oboe, harp and French horn at the Royal Festival Hall. He has performed a number of concertos and solo pieces with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales which have been broadcast on Radio. His performances have received many favourable comments in media reviews.Tim has played in many countries throughout Europe and the wider world including the USA, South America, India and China. Besides playing in most of the major concert venues in the UK, he has played at Buckingham Palace, The Mansion House and Windsor Castle (for the marriage of The Prince of Wales to The Duchess of Cornwall).He is featured as solo horn on the CD recording of Karl Jenkins Requiem and plays Fantasy for Horn on the Fine Arts Brass CD of Malcolm Arnold’s Complete Brass Chamber Music. His own CD “Midsummer” was released in 2009 and includes a collection of music arranged for the horn ranging from Bach and Purcell to Morricone and Bernstein. In 2010 he premiered a new horn concerto by Christopher Ball which was later released on CD.Tim is actively involved in coaching and master classes for aspiring French horn players and teaches at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.