Richard Ingham studied music at York University, and enjoys a busy and varied career which combines composition, teaching and performance. Richard Ingham has an international reputation as a leader in his field and is in great demand across the UK and abroad as a performer and teacher, as well as receiving regular composition commissions for both solo and chamber music ensemble works.
As a composer, Richard has several works in print (Kevin Mayhew, Saxtet Publications and Associated Board Publications) and his works receive regular performances throughout the UK and further afield. His work Peter and the RTO for narrator and orchestra was premiered in Edinburgh in 2002, and From Pennan to Penang, a suite for soprano saxophone and accordion was given its first performance in 2004. One of its movements, Ballyfa Evening for solo soprano saxophone, has received many performances, most recently by the Irish saxophonist Gerard McChrystal. Other solo saxophone compositions include Distant Song, premiered in Ireland in 2002, and His Inevitable Lament, commissioned and first performed in 2005.
Through a Landscape for saxophone quartet was commissioned and premiered in Leeds in 2005 and has been performed several times since. The St Andrews Suite for jazz orchestra received its first performance in April 2004, since which time the central movement, Mrs Malcolm, Her Reel (Funky Freuchie) has received many performances throughout the UK in various chamber ensemble arrangements. The saxophone choir version is published by Saxtet Publications and was recently performed in China by the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain, conducted by the composer.
Richard Ingham’s Double Concerto for saxophone, accordion and strings was premiered in Scotland in 2005, and his work for wind quintet, Nine Pieces for Five Players was premiered in Cambridge in 2006. This was followed by a re-working of five of the movements for saxophone quintet, which received its first performance later the same year. Drift o Rain on Moorland Stane, music with poems by Marion Angus was premiered in St Andrews as part of the Stanza poetry festival in March 2007, and was nominated for the British Composer Awards in the same year.
In 2008 he received a commission to compose a six movement suite for the Aberdeenshire Saxophone Orchestra, funded by Youth Music Initiative and the Scottish Arts Council. The resulting work, From the Mountains to the Sea, was premiered in Aberdeen in November 2008. His Fanfare for brass quintet was commissioned for the installation of Dr Louise Richardson as Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of St Andrews in 2009. Current commissions include Nature Morte au Panier, for solo viola, to be premiered at the Watson Forbes Centenary Celebration, November 2009 and Robinson for narrator and jazz ensemble. Richard has also written a commissioned piece for the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain (Taj Mahal), which was premiered in Birmingham in 2009 and also performed in the 15th World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok in 2009.
Richard has also composed a number of educational works, including Strings Jazz, written between 2001 and 2007, and Style Masters for Saxophone (four quartets), published in 2001. His compositions feature in the ABRSM Music Medals series.
As a solo artist Richard gives regular concerts in the UK and abroad, including recent recitals in Spain, Poland, Canada, Ireland, USA, Slovenia, India, China and Latvia. In December 2006 he gave recitals in Guangzhou and Chengdu on a tour of China and Japan for Leeds College of Music, where he was Professor of Woodwind. Numerous works have been written for him, and performances have included UK premieres of works by François Rossé, Ryo Noda, Ramon Ricker, Erwin Schulhoff and David Cooper. He is a member of Trio Verso (with poet Brian Johnstone and bassist Louise Major). He is a Yamaha artist and clinician, and as well as his saxophone work, Richard has given many performances on the Yamaha WX7 midi wind controller.
Richard has appeared by invitation at every World Saxophone Congress since 1985, most recently in Slovenia (July 2006) where he gave a solo recital and performed with both the Northern Saxophone Quartet and the Tribune Octet as well as conducting the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain, of which he is Principal Guest Conductor. The Northern Saxophone Quartet has also toured in Europe, the USA and Japan as well as giving regular performances throughout the UK. In April 2007 he conducted the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain on a tour of China with performances in Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai and Beijing, and returned to Beijing in August to perform by invitation at the China International Clarinet and Saxophone Festival 2007. As an orchestral player he has worked with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Halle Orchestra, Opera North and the English Northern Philharmonia. He has also worked at the National Theatre, London, (on WX7 and saxophone) on several productions.
Richard has broadcast and recorded many items of the solo saxophone repertoire, many with pianist Alan Cuckston, featuring a wide range of music from classical and contemporary to jazz, Celtic and world music. His current CD recordings include Scenes From a Mountain (with the pianist Mary McCarthy), Nomad (a solo performance of a commissioned work by Archer Endrich), Second Revolution, The Cowles Collection and The Definitive Ashton Collection (all with the Northern Saxophone Quartet) and Tribune (with the Tribune Octet).
He has presented masterclasses in conservatoires in the UK and abroad, most recently in China and Japan, during which tour he gave a jazz workshop at Beijing’s Pop Academy, and directed the celebrated 80 strong saxophone orchestra of Showa Academy. In his capacity as a jazz educator he gives many jazz workshops and lectures throughout the country. These are designed for all instruments, and include special events for string players and teachers, often hosted by Suzuki organisations and by ESTA. Richard has a long standing association with the Royal Marines Band Service and is also guest conductor with the world famous RTOof Edinburgh. Richard is in great demand as a course leader and tutor and his numerous annual residential saxophone courses have proved very popular. He directed the first saxophone residential courses at Benslow (Hertfordshire), Knuston Hall (Northamptonshire) and Alston Hall (Lancashire). He has recently completed lecture tours of South East Asia and India. He is the editor of the Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone (Cambridge University Press, 1999), which was also published in Chinese in March 2007.
Richard is Fellow in New Music and Composer in Residence at the University of St Andrews, and he founded and has directed the Distance Learning Jazz Courses there since 1994, including the introductory Scottish Certificate in Jazz, the Advanced Diploma in Jazz and the new (2009) Graduate Diploma in Jazz. Richard Ingham is jazz tutor and twentieth century music history tutor at St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh. He was formerly saxophone consultant at Wells Cathedral Music School and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and was Director of Music at Wakefield College where, along with five other centres in the country, he pioneered popular music education for students of the 16-19 age group. He is also a music festival adjudicator and specialist examiner, and a mentor for the Associated Board professional development courses. In 2008 he was the lead presenter for the ABRSM jazz courses throughout the country, including Taster Days, Let’s Teach Jazz (Introductory Course) and Let’s Teach Jazz (Intermediate Course). He is saxophone consultant at Chalmers-Mackay Music Schools of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. Richard was chairman of the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain (1989-1992), and co-directed the first seven British Saxophone Congresses from 1990 to 2002. He led the Sounds Like a New Century jazz education project in 2000, in partnership with JazzDev, Yorkshire Arts and Leeds College of Music, and is currently engaged in a jazz project, with pianist Richard Michael, in Aberdeenshire. This is funded by the Scottish Arts Council through the Youth Music Initiative scheme. Recently both Richards have been delivering the University of St Andrews jazz courses in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, promoted by Music Projects Hebrides and funded by the Scottish Arts Council.
Richard’s own saxophone studio has produced many award winning advanced student performers in recent years, including: BBC Young Musician of the Year 2000 Woodwind finalist and winner of the Walter Todds Bursary, and 2002 Woodwind finalist; Finalist, Perrier Young Jazz Musician competition 2000; Winner, Royal Overseas League Woodwind and Brass Competition; UK winner and European Silver Medallist, European Music for Youth Saxophone Award. As a jazz educator he has coached many instrumentalists, including a recent winner of the Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year.