SOLO

With an extensive repertoire ranging from the English virginalists through to the present day, Julian Perkins is much in demand as a solo recitalist and chamber musician. He often devises concerts around particular themes, and likes to combine familiar works with lesser-known pieces by composers including Thomas Arne, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Stephen Dodgson, Herbert Howells, Johann Kuhnau, Johann Gottfried Müthel, and James Nares.
   
As well as frequent radio and television broadcasts, solo and chamber performances on harpsichord, fortepiano, and organ have included recitals at the Cambridge Summer Music Festival, Hatchlands Park, London Handel Festival, London International Exhibition of Early Music, Purcell Room, Ryedale Festival, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, St John’s, Smith Square, and Tudeley Festival. He is the first clavichordist to have given recitals at the Buxton Festival, Cambridge Early Music, and Handel House Museum, has performed J S Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, at the St Albans International Organ Festival, and has also performed at the International Clavichord Symposium in Magnano, Italy. Harpsichord solos in programmes with Sounds Baroque have included performances for music societies throughout the UK, and at international festivals in Cheltenham, London, Montpellier, Tel Aviv, and York.

Julian is also a music coach at the National Opera Studio and a guest teacher at the Royal Academy of Music. He is a regular Baroque tutor for the Southbank Sinfonia, a guest lecturer at the London centre of Lawrence University, Wisconsin, has collaborated on many educational projects with organizations including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and was Artist in Residence at the celebrated Benton Fletcher Collection of early keyboard instruments at Fenton House, London.

Ensemble

Concerto performances have been given with ensembles including the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orchestra of St John’s, Smith Square, Orchestra of the Sixteen, and for the London Bach Festival and Windsor Festival. Solo performances have included J S Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No V, harpsichord concerti by Arne and J S Bach, organ concerti by Handel and Vivaldi, Poulenc’s Concert Champêtre, and Falla’s Concerto for Harpsichord.

As a continuo player, performances, broadcasts, and tours with leading ensembles have included both period instrument groups such as the Academy of Ancient Music, Classical Opera Company, English Concert, Gabrieli Consort & Players, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, London Handel Orchestra, New London Consort, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orchestra of the Sixteen, Scholars Baroque, The King's Consort, Trevor Pinnock and Friends, and modern orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, Britten Sinfonia, City of London Sinfonia, English Chamber Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, and Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

In addition to directing Sounds Baroque from the keyboard, Julian has conducted New Chamber Opera, New Kent Opera, Belsize Baroque Orchestra, and Southbank Sinfonia, amongst others. He directed the Morley Baroque Consort for six years, and has conducted education projects for Benslow Music, Pembroke Academy, and Thames Valley Early Music Forum.

Julian often works for leading opera companies. Please visit the Opera page for more information.