Born: London

Studied: I studied at the Royal College of Music in London as an undergraduate and then began a fellowship at Trinity. Professionally I was involved in solo and chamber projects through the auspices of schemes and societies such as the Park Lane Group. I also was a member of a contemporary music group (Mercury Quartet). We had a busy schedule of performing, work-shopping and commissioning activity. I also began to dip my toe into the freelance orchestral scene.

Favourite piece of music: The answer to this question changes roughly every ten minutes… Radiohead, Rosenkavalier, Charlie Parker…

First ballet or concert you saw: I don’t have a specific memory of one standout concert or event, more a tapestry of evenings going up to the Barbican, West End or Southbank with my parents and little sister. The Barbican gift shop still fills my stomach with excited butterflies when I walk past it as an adult.

First album: In my early teens I bought an album by The Bravery and snuck out to watch them in a gig at Brixton Academy. I think I liked them because my parents didn’t. Standard. As a kid my sister and I exhaustively listened to Now 44, Queen Greatest Hits, Just William and the soundtrack to TheSinging Detective on tape.

Why the clarinet? I started on the violin and moved to the clarinet when I realised it was a lot easier.

Favourite ballet to play: On the Bass Clarinet it’s probably Romeo and Juliet. It has an important role throughout and sort of roams about, briefly joining different sections of the orchestra. It feels a bit like a free agent.

Most challenging piece to play:Hymnos by Peter Maxwell Davies for clarinet and piano. It pushes the player to the absolute extremes. The demands on technique, rhythmic accuracy and musicianship are unmatched in all my experience. It’s exciting and impossible. It climaxes with an unrealistically high note at maximum volume. I love it! Pure chaos, challenge and beauty coexisting.

Alternative career: A skint unsuccessful author.