Stephen Marsden

Born in Bury, Lancashire, Steve Marsden began his bassoon studies aged ten with Charles Cracknell, principal bassoon with the Halle Orchestra, first privately and then as a student at the Junior Department at the Royal Northern College of Music. He continued his studies as a pupil at Chetham`s School of Music in Manchester from 1981 to 1983 with David Chatwin, principal with the BBC Philharmonic, and also with Martin Gatt, principal with the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1983 he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Martin Gatt and Graham Sheen of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

From 1979 to 1983 Steve was a member and principal bassoon of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and from 1984 to 1985 a member of the European Youth Orchestra. In 1985, he was a finalist in the Shell/London Symphony Orchestra woodwind scholarship, and a prize winner with the British Wind Quintet at the ARD Internationaler Musikwettbewerb in Munich.

Whilst still an undergraduate at Guildhall, Steve was appointed Principal Bassoon at Welsh National Opera where he continues to work.

As a teacher he is much in demand both as bassoonist and also as a tutor working with the National Youth Orchestra of Wales amongst others, leading many college woodwind classes and rehearsals, and he has also directed the college Wind Ensemble.

Steve has played as a freelance guest principal with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra. He has also performed as a soloist on many occasions in concertos by Mozart, Weber, Hummel, Berwald, Vivaldi and Strauss.