Tim Reynish Tickets

Tim Reynish is a British conductor best known for his work with wind ensembles and as a champion of contemporary classical music. As a performer and educator, Reynish has had a significant impact on the development of classical music in the twentieth century and beyond.

Born in 1940, Reynish studied at Keble College, Oxford, and later at the Royal College of Music. He began his career as a musician playing clarinet with several orchestras in the UK, including the London Symphony Orchestra. It was while performing in these ensembles that he began to take an interest in conducting, eventually leading him away from orchestral playing and into the world of conducting.

Reynish became one of the pioneers of the European wind ensemble movement, which emphasized the integration of different woodwind and brass instruments into a balanced whole. This approach differed from the traditional model of the concert band, which often placed greater emphasis on the brass section and treated other sections as accompanying parts. Through his work with various ensembles and his influential teaching, Reynish helped to elevate the status of the wind ensemble as a serious musical medium.

In addition to promoting traditional wind ensemble literature, such as the works of Percy Grainger and Gustav Holst, Reynish has been a strong advocate for contemporary classical music. He has commissioned and premiered numerous works by composers across multiple generations, including Michael Daugherty, Chen Yi, and John Mackey.

Beyond his work as a conductor and promoter of new music, Reynish has been an important figure in music education. He has taught at several universities, including the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Minnesota, where he served as director of bands from 1986 to 1995. His contributions to music pedagogy have been recognized internationally, and he has received honorary doctorates from universities in both the US and UK.

Overall, Tim Reynish's contributions to the classical music world through his conducting, promotion of new music, and educational work have been significant. His championing of the wind ensemble as a legitimate musical medium has helped to shape the course of classical music history in recent decades.