Hugh Woolley

Bassoon

Hugh Woolley discovered music and the bassoon later in life. Having grown up in Lincolnshire he began playing in 2012 and progressed through the Lincolnshire Music Service quickly where he regularly played with regional ensembles. He later passed Grade 8 with Distinction in 2014 before enrolling at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire later that year where he graduated in 2018 with a First Class degree. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a Distinction in the Master of Arts course in 2020 while under the tutelage of Fraser Gordon, Jonathan Davies and the recently retired John Orford. Hugh enjoys a varied freelance career in the city and around the country as a contrabassoonist and bassoonist. This has taken him to America with the Manchester based Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra as part of the International Conducting Festival 2016 and he returned to America with his wind quintet, Lumos, acting as the International Outreach Ensemble for the Hot Springs Music Festival in 2018. In London, Hugh is a passionate educator of music and the bassoon and he has enjoyed performing with the Southbank Sinfonia and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Hugh is graciously supported by Help Musicians UK.