Tim Payne
Clarinet/Saxophone
Clarinet/Saxophone
Tim Payne began his musical journey by starting clarinet lessons at the age of 12, achieving Grade 8 (Distinction) within three years by which time he had additionally taken up the saxophone, piano and organ. Wider recognition came the following year when he won the Leon Goossens Woodwind Cup at Oxford Music Festival at the age of 16 resulting in a performance of Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No.1 with the Oxford Symphony Orchestra. During his teenage years he joined both the British Youth Wind Orchestra, where he became principal saxophone, and the British Youth Symphony Orchestra as principal clarinet. Following private clarinet studies in London with Dame Thea King, he took up a place at the Royal Academy of Music but, finding the institution resistant to his burgeoning interest in jazz, rock, and contemporary music, he transferred to London University (Goldsmiths’ College) the following year. Here, alongside his academic studies, he took part in a wide range of playing including the jazz-rock band, Special Brew which was voted best London student band as well as the Chris Burn Jazz Ensemble which won the BBC Big Band competition and appeared at the Bracknell and London Jazz Festivals.
Whilst still a student, he joined the Musicians Union and immediately began working as a deputy in West End shows, gaining invaluable early experience. After graduating with a B.Mus, he embarked on postgraduate saxophone studies with Stephen Trier at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama which led directly to an invitation to join the Myrha Saxophone Quartet founded by the eminent saxophonist, John Harle. One of the country’s most celebrated chamber ensembles, the MSQ was resident ensemble at the Royal National Theatre and worked closely with several leading composers. During this period he gained an M.Mus degree from Reading University whilst continuing to develop a busy freelance career which included the West End run of the National Theatre’s much lauded production of Guys & Dolls. This brought regular deputising in most of the popular musicals including Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, Miss Saigon, Follies, Singing in the Rain and La Cage aux Folles. Alongside work in theatres came engagements with symphony orchestras from across the UK and abroad including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. He was frequently seen as an extra or deputy in all five of the major London orchestras, especially the London Philharmonic, where he was a regular for almost a decade, and the BBC Symphony with whom he continues to play today.
Having built up a large collection of single reed instruments he developed a reputation as a useful multi-doubler sometimes playing as many as six different clarinets and saxophones in the same concert. As a member of the electro-acoustic group Metanoia, bizarre combinations such as sopranino saxophone doubling contrabass clarinet were not unusual. This facility led to studio work where a wide variety of exotic sounds were often required on film soundtracks such as Philadelphia, Cliffhanger, Mr Bean, Sleepy Hollow, From Hell and Tomb Raider among many others. A similar range of TV soundtracks includes Doctor Who, Omnibus, The Far Pavilions, What the Victorians Did for Us, A Dance to The Music of Time, The Natural World and South Pacific. The advent of the CD sparked a golden era of recording and Tim has appeared on scores of orchestral and chamber music discs and, more recently, DVDs. Freelance work became busier still and brought appearances with many of the leading contemporary ensembles such as The London Sinfonietta, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Music Projects London, Almeida Ensemble and Gemini as well as dance companies including Rambert and London Contemporary Dance alongside those of choreographers Richard Alston, Siobahn Davies and Shobana Jeyasingh.
With the Myrha Saxophone Quartet having long since disbanded, the Meridian Saxophone Quartet was formed in 1994 and their London debut was met with great critical acclaim. Running parallel to this was another single reed project, a clarinet sextet originally known as Capital Clarinets before being rebranded as The Clarinet Section. Their debut CD, 'Le Jardin Féerique' (samples available here), included arrangements of works by Debussy and Ravel by Tim and the group continues to exist under the new name of The Clarinet Collective.
In 1996 he began a long-standing relationship with The Orchestra of The Royal Opera House with whom he still continues to work regularly, alongside projects with other major UK opera companies including English National Opera, Welsh National Opera and Opera North. This wide-ranging career as a performer has brought him into contact with many of the world’s leading conductors including Bernard Haitink, Andre Previn, George Solti, Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Klaus Tennstedt, Ricardo Muti, Kurt Masur and Antonio Pappano. The same has applied to composers such as Michael Tippett, Krzysztof Penderecki, Thomas Ades, John Adams, Harrison Birtwistle, David Bedford, Mark-Antony Turnage and Gavin Bryars.
Pop, rock and jazz have continued to feature throughout his career and has involved with touring and recording with Peter Gabriel, Rita Coolidge, Marti Webb and Liane La Havas as well as appearances with the Remix Jazz Orchestra.
Teaching has always been an important part of his career and he has held posts at leading schools including Harrow, Benenden, Sevenoaks, Magdalen College School, Abingdon and St.Edward's and preparatory schools including Swanbourne House and Chandlings Manor. He has been a staff member of the Royal College of Music Junior Department and at the universities of London, Southampton, Kingston and Bath Spa.
Combining academic training with his extensive knowledge of the performance world, he was the specialist woodwind reviewer for the BBC Music Magazine for over ten years and was a contributor to 'The Versatile Clarinet'.