Fraser Gordon

Fraser trained initially as a violinist at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, changing to principal study bassoon after a few years, eventually graduating with First Class Honours and winning all the performance prizes available to him. He is indebted to his teachers for their unending support and has received generous financial support from the Dewar Awards, Caird Trust and Wolfson Trust for supporting his studies and instrument purchases.

On stage highlights include performing The Rite of Spring from memory on tour with the Aurora Orchestra, Mahler 6 at the BBC Proms with the World Orchestra for Peace , Hans Werner Henze's Voices with London Sinfonietta at Time is Music Festival in Finland and The Planets with his own beloved RPO at Carnegie Hall, New York.

Fraser is the sixth contrabassoonist since the RPO's formation and is an active musician with RPO Resound, their community and education programme. He is also a founder member of the award winning STROKEstra programme. Fraser has represented the orchestra at international conferences and was a member of the Board of Directors for five years. He was the co-host of the first ever Woodwind Category of the 16^th International Tchaikovsky Competition, broadcast on Medici.tv in 2019, live from St Petersburg.

As Head of Woodwind he delights in training the Academy's fantastic woodwind players, helping them fulfil their potential and is sincere and committed to guiding each in their progression into the profession.

Off stage, touring highlights include hiring (preferably yellow) Mustangs in the USA, hitching a lift on a tractor up a mountain in Azerbaijan, swimming with Stingrays in Antigua, climbing Mexican Sun pyramids and tobogganing down the Great Wall of China. In his free time Fraser can be often found on a Hebridean beach, come rain or shine.

Photo by Fiona Hanson