Leader
Duncan Riddell has been Leader of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 2010. He previously held the same position at the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and, before that, the post of Co-Leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also performed extensively as director/soloist with these orchestras.
His work as a guest leader and director/soloist has taken him far and wide, including to Japan, North America and continental Europe, and he has appeared as guest leader with all the major London orchestras as well as many of the UK's regional orchestras. Orchestral collaborations have seen Duncan lead concerts with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.
As a chamber musician, Duncan was First Violin of the Roth Quartet, which toured the UK and Europe extensively and performed regularly on BBC Radio 3. His chamber music recordings include Mendelssohn’s String Quartets Op.44, Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet with Katherine Lacy (Principal Clarinet of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) and Vaughan Williams’ Piano Quintet in C minor with Mark Bebbington.
Duncan’s solo recordings include Frank Martin's Maria-Trypticon with Matthias Bamert and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and, most recently, Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending in its original violin and piano version with Mark Bebbington on Resonus Classics.