Chris Houlding
Chris was appointed Principal
Trombone of the Orchestra of Opera North, Britain’s newest and most
innovative opera company, when he was 21. Since then he has appeared as
Guest Principal with most major UK ensembles including the London
Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, Royal
Opera House Covent Garden, London Brass, London Symphony Brass and the
Symphonic Brass of London.
A graduate of London’s Guildhall School of Music, Chris studied with Denis
Wick, Eric Crees and Peter Gane, and was awarded the Principal’s Prize.
Prior to this he was a member of the National Youth Brass Band, National
Youth Jazz Orchestra and European Union Youth Orchestra, gaining the LRAM
Diploma while still at school.
He is Senior Tutor in Brass at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of
Music, regular Trombone Professor with the National Youth Orchestra of
Great Britain and has coached the European Union Youth Orchestra and
Gustav Mahler Jungend Orchester. He gives recitals and masterclasses
throughout the UK and Europe and has appeared has appeared regularly at
the Joseph Alessi Summer Seminar, Juilliard, Eastman and Boston University
in the USA.
Music Director of the Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra from 2002 to 2007, he has conducted
ensembles including the RNCM Symphony Orchestra, Northern Junior
Philharmonic, Lancashire Youth Symphony, Sinfonia of Leeds, Derbyshire
County Wind Orchestra, Chethams School of Music Wind Ensembles and
Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Adjudicating assignments have taken him
throughout Europe including the Turkish Young Musician of the Year,
Norwegian Brass Band Championships and the Royal Overseas League Music
Competition.
Recent conducting engagements have included appearances with the Orchestra
of Opera North, Stravinsky’s Soldiers Tale at Manchester’s Bridgewater
Hall , Puccini’s Turandot in Huddersfield Town Hall and directing DUT
Yorkshire Imperial Band’s winning performance as 2005 National Champions.
He has also been awarded an MMus in Conducting by the Royal
Northern College of Music.
As a former President of the British Trombone Society, Chris takes
spreading the trombone gospel very seriously and is active promoting a
wide range of events throughout the country. Recent engagements have
included representing the UK in the World Orchestra for Peace under Valery
Gergiev in Russia, Concerto appearances with the Orchestra of Opera North
(Elgar Howarth Concerto under the composer), recitals and masterclasses in
Texas, California, St Petersburg, Portugal and London and adjudicating the
British National Brass Championship. Future engagements include
masterclass, recital and concerto appearances in Portugal, Norway and the
UK and the completion of a solo CD featuring premiers of several new solo
works written especially for him.
