I was educated at St Paul's Cathedral School, Wells Cathedral School and the Royal Academy of Music where I studied clarinet with Alan Hacker. I was awarded my Fellowship in 1976, enabling a period of studying clarinet playing, design and manufacture in Holland and Germany.

I was principal clarinet of the Wren Orchestra of London, the London Classical Players and Sinfonia 21 and have played regularly as guest principal with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), the Philharmonia, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia, the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) and, on period instruments, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE).

I have recorded for Hyperion (Concertos for Two Clarinets by Tausch with Thea King and the ECO), Teldec (Mozart Basset Horn Divertimenti with the COE Wind Soloists), Philips (Mozart Arias – obligato with Cheryl Studer) and EMI (Glyndebourne Octets – OAE).

My playing has been featured on many film and television soundtracks, including BBC TV's Pride and Prejudice, Chocolat, Chicken Run, Emma, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Shrek, Gosford Park, Sylvia, Bridget Jones, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Avengers.