Barry Tuckwell

This post is part of a series called Know This Brass Player which features famous brass players from all over the world.

Name: Barry Tuckwell (1931)

Instrument: Horn

Location: Australia/UK

Significance: Barry Tuckwell is one of the most famous horn players of all time. Not only has a soloist but also as a orchestral horn player, he has inspired many of the great horn players of the 20th and 21st Century. Tuckwell was born in Melbourne Australia into a musical family, where he learned to play the organ, piano, and violin. His first horn teacher was Richard Meriwether. Tuckwell’s first experience in an orchestra was with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. A year later, he joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 1951, Barry moved to London where he would play in multiple orchestras for the next few years including the Hallé Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Four years later, Tuckwell became the first horn of the London Symphony Orchestra, a position which brought him international recognition. After spending 13 years with the London Symphony, he went on to pursue a solo career. Considered to be the most recorded horn player, many of his recordings are standard references for all brass players today.

In addition to performing, Tuckwell was considered an extraordinary teacher. He taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London for 10 years and has given master classes and done residencies throughout the world. As an author, he has published three books for the horn. As a crowning achievement for music, Tuckwell was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1965. In addition to his many honors and awards, he was the first president of the International Horn Society from 1970 to 1976.

Sources consulted for this article include:
Barry Tuckwell – International Horn Society
Barry Tuckwell – Wikipedia