Posted: 18/01/23
Derwent Brass is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Adams as their Associate Music Director. Richard completes the band’s Music Leadership Team alongside Music Director Jack Capstaff and Music Director Emeritus Keith Leonard.
Derwent Brass chairman Graham Johnson commented: “In Richard’s varied and colourful career, he has gained an immense amount of experience as an educator, scholar, performer, conductor, and adjudicator. His knowledge and talent are vast, and I’m in no doubt that this new relationship will bring significant value to the band. On behalf of everyone at Derwent Brass we offer him a very warm welcome.”
Richard was an award-winning trumpet student at the Birmingham School of Music and later made an Honorary Fellow of the Birmingham Conservatoire. He founded the Cambrian Brass Quintet, performing with them around the world, as well as on recordings for radio and television.
As a professional trumpeter he performed regularly with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra, D’Oyle Carte Opera Company, Melachrino Strings & Orchestra, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Within brass bands Richard has been a playing member of Huthwaite Prize, Shirland Miners Welfare, Jones & Crossland, Desford Colliery, and Lion City (Singapore) Band.
In view of his work as co-artistic director of the international festival “Brass Explosion” he received the British Bandsman Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Brass Music-Making'. His conducting career includes work with ensembles as diverse as the English Serenata, Desford Colliery Band, Whitburn Band, Parc & Dare and the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.
Richard held Head of Woodwind, Brass & Percussion at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama before accepting an invitation to become Head of Music at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in Singapore. Richard led the transformation of music at NAFA into a fully-fledged conservatoire programme, culminating with the successful launch of the BMus (Hons) degree programme in collaboration with the Royal College of Music of which he is now an Honorary Member.
“It is great to be back in the UK and I was pleasantly surprised to find Derwent Brass rehearsing locally to me in Derbyshire. I’ve been to many of their rehearsals and made enormously welcome by Jack and the band. They are progressive, innovative, and keen to succeed, and I look forward to being part of the team to continue achieving that.” (Richard Adams)
Richard commences the role with immediate effect, supporting the band’s preparations for the Midland Regional Championships in February 2023.
