Richard Scholfield

Glasgow

Richard Scholfield is an award-winning Scottish saxophonist praised for his “silken” sound (The Scotsman) and thoughtful programming. He forges a deep connection with audiences through his characterful playing and careful presentation, drawing them into the world of the saxophone as he explores both its storied past and bright future. Alongside his desire to showcase the saxophone’s diverse and often underappreciated repertoire, Richard is a skilled arranger and transcriber, always looking for new opportunities to explore the capabilities of his instrument. He has created a wide range of solo and chamber transcriptions by composers such as J.S. Bach, Antonin Dvorak, Amy Beach and Olivier Messiaen, as well as re-interpretations of original saxophone works such as new arrangements of Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto and William Grant Still’s Romance for saxophone and string quartet. Richard is passionate about chamber music, performing regularly with the Campus Trio (two saxophones and piano) as well as in his duo partnership with pianist Iain Clarke. He frequently takes part in other collaborative chamber projects, such as touring with the Resol String Quartet and performing duo recitals with clarinettist Cathal Killeen. He is delighted to be a 2020 City Music Foundation Artist. Richard earned the second prize in the 2022 Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition at Mayfield Festival, and was also awarded a distinction in the 2021 Tunbridge Wells Competition. He has performed concerti with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Wind Orchestra and the Kelvin Ensemble. Richard has also performed as an orchestral musician with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra of Scottish Opera and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. Richard gained a Master of Arts degree in saxophone performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2019 under Josef Pacewicz and visiting professor Arno Bornkamp. During his studies he was awarded the Governors’ Recital Prize for Woodwind, as well as being awarded twice the Governors’ Recital Prize for Chamber Music. He attained first prize at the 2018 RCS Woodwind Concerto Competition, giving him the opportunity to perform Edward Gregson’s saxophone concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Perth Concert Hall. In 2019, Richard attended the London Sinfonietta Academy and the European University of Saxophone, receiving guidance from some of the finest saxophonists in Europe. During his undergraduate and masters studies, he also made frequent trips to the Conservatorium van Amsterdam for solo lessons and chamber music coaching with Arno Bornkamp and Willem van Merwijk, as well as to attend events such as the SAX18 festival. Richard plays a Selmer Series II Alto Saxophone with a Selmer Mark 7 neck, and a Selmer Mark VI Soprano Saxophone (with Lagan Wrist Saver). He plays on a Selmer S90 180 alto mouthpiece, and a Selmer Concept soprano mouthpiece, and uses Legere Signature reeds and Silverstein ligatures.

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