Biography

Laurence Perkins - biographical details

Laurence Perkins has been described in The Times newspaper as a "British bassoon champion", and through his internationally-acclaimed Hyperion recordings (click the blue link for details) and a vast on-going programme of concert work, he continues to build the knowledge and appreciation of the instrument which has for so long been the least-known of all the woodwinds. 

Laurence’s numerous solo CDs for the Hyperion label include a disc of concertos with conductor Douglas Boyd which received a five-star rating in the BBC Music Magazine, with the Mozart Concerto being a top selection in Building a Library on the BBC Radio 3 Record Review programme. A CD of shorter, lighter pieces “The Playful Pachyderm” with the New London Orchestra conducted by Ronald Corp received outstanding reviews in the national and international media.Two of Laurence's recordings have reached No.4 in the U.K. Specialist Classical Charts - his 2018 recording of the Richard Strauss Duet-Concertino with trios by Beethoven and Glinka, plus his 2-CD anthology of 20th century music 'Voyage of a Sea-god' which was also voted "album of the week" in The Times newspaper when it was released in July 2021. More details about Laurence's recordings can be found on the RECORDINGS page of this website (click this link to go directly to this page). His most recent recording for Hyperion is an album called 'Honey-coloured Cow', which was released in May 2025 and has received outstanding reviews on BBC Radio 3, Gramophone and BBC Music Magazines, the national press and on international radio stations.

Laurence was born in Lancashire in 1954, and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester between 1970-76 with Charles Cracknell, principal bassoonist in the Hallé Orchestra.. He joined Manchester Camerata as their principal bassoonist in October 1974, finally leaving in June 2017 to pursue more chamber music and solo playing, alongside his on-going work promoting the bassoon. During his 43 years with Camerata he performed in concerts throughout the UK (including the BBC Proms) and on overseas tours including France, Germany, Portugal, Norway, the Azores Islands, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia and Japan.

Laurence has given many solo concert performances throughout the UK and Europe, including recitals at the Wigmore Hall and the Purcell Room in London, concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra (at St. John’s, Smith Square) and with Manchester Camerata, and numerous overseas concerts including France, Portugal and Prague.

Laurence is bassoon tutor at the University of York, and has also been bassoon tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and at Nottingham and Leeds Universities. He has also been a regular bassoon and chamber music tutor at many summer schools and courses in the UK and overseas, including Aberystwyth, Malvern, Sherborne, Dartington and Oxford. He also runs 'Wind Serenades' chamber music courses for amateur players at Higham Hall in Cumbria, and in Germany and France.