Chris Houlding MMus GGSM LRAM


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 the Guildhall School, 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 European Union Youth Orchestra and Great Britain’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra and National Youth Brass Band, gaining the LRAM Diploma while still at school.

Professor of Trombone and Brass Ensemble at the Folkwang Hochschule Essen, Germany, he has also served as Senior Tutor in Brass at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music and is a regular Trombone Professor with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and European Union Youth Orchestra. He gives recitals and masterclasses throughout the world, including the Joseph Alessi Summer Seminar, Juilliard, Eastman and conservatoires in Boston, Texas, St Petersburg, Moscow, Porto, Oslo and Aarhus. In the UK, Chris has given recitals, classes and has served as outside assessor at the Guildhall School, Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music and conservatoires and universities in Glasgow, Birmingham, Huddersfield and Salford.

In 2003 Chris represented the UK in the World Orchestra for Peace under Valery Gergiev and has made concerto appearances with the Orchestra of Opera North (Elgar Howarth Concerto under the composer, Grondahl Concerto under Martyn Brabbins), Durham Sinfonia (Bourgeois Concerto) and Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra (Albrechtsberger Concerto as soloist/director). A former President of the British Trombone Society and clinician for the Edwards Instrument Company, he has appeared as guest artist at ITF Aarhus (2009), Slide Factory Rotterdam (2009), IPV Symposium Stuttgart (2009), Adams Trombone Day Netherlands (2008), International Festivals in Washington DC (ETW 2008), Las Vegas (ITF 2007), Sweden (2007) and Birmingham (ITF 2006) and currently serves on International Trombone Association Executive Board. His debut solo CD entitled Houlding his own was issued in February 2008 on the SRC label.

Chris was awarded an MMus in Conducting by the Royal Northern College of Music in 2005 and held the position of Music Director with the Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra for six years. He has also conducted the Orchestra of Opera North, Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal Brass Ensemble, RNCM Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra and Brass Band (2007/8/9 Festival of Brass), NYO Open Day Orchestra, Trinity College of Music Wind Orchestra, Lancashire Youth Symphony, Oslo Music Academy Brass Ensemble, Prinsen Musikkorps Brass Band, Denmark and Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Future appearances include conducting the Bochumer Symphoniker and Trinity College of Music (London) Brass Ensemble and sitting as Juror at the Internationaler Instrumentalwettbeverb Markneukirchen.  As adjudicator, he has served on international juries including the First International Wind Competition Moscow, Turkish Young Musician of the Year, Norwegian Brass Band Championships, Feis Ceoil Dublin and the Royal Overseas League Music Competition an is a regular contributor to Brass Herald and Brass Band World magazines.