Andrew Staples
A prolific concert performer, Andrew has appeared with the Berliner and Wiener Philharmoniker, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with Sir Simon Rattle; the Orchestre de Paris, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra with Daniel Harding; the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the ScottishChamber Orchestra with Robin Ticciati; the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, the Orcherstre Métropolitain and the Philadelphia Orchestra with Yannick Nézet-Séguin; the Accademia Santa Cecilia with Semyon Bychkov; and the Staatskapelle Berlin with Daniel Barenboim.

Andrew made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Jacquino Fidelio, returning for Flamand Capriccio, Tamino Die Zauberflöte, Tichon Katya Kabanova and Narraboth Salome. He has also appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, the National Theatre Prague; La Monnaie Brussels; the Salzburger Festspiele; Hamburgische Staatsoper, Theater an der Wien, the Lucerne Festival and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Recent and future engagements include his Metropolitan Opera debut as Andres Wozzeck, Nicias in concert performances of Thais with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Das Lied von der Erde with the New York Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Budapest Festival Orchestra. Further future engagements include returns to the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Bayerischer Rundfunk Munich.

Christopher Parkes
is solo horn of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Principal Horn of the John Wilson Orchestra. He has previously held positions in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Principal Horn, 2008-10) and the London Philharmonic Orchestra (3rd Horn, 2004-2008). He has been a professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama since 2012.

Other orchestral engagements have included performing as principal horn with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Philharmonia, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Munich Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Solo appearances have included the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony and BBC Scottish Symphony, with conductors including Gianandrea Noseda and Daniel Harding.

He has performed chamber music with artists such as Anne Sofie von Otter, Ian Bostridge and Pierre Laurent Aimard and with ensembles such as Superbrass, Stockholm Syndrome and Fine Arts Brass (Solo Horn, 2002- ).

Chris has played principal horn for recording artists such as Paul McCartney and George Michael and has appeared on film soundtracks for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, Batman: The Dark Knight Rises and on computer games such as James Bond: Blood Stone and the Uncharted franchise.

Chris studied at Chetham’s School of Music and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.