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Lawrence O'Donnell

Principal, Bassoon

Lawrence O’Donnell

Lawrence O’Donnell from Scone started playing the bassoon at Perth Academy aged 12 with Philip and played in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

Whilst studying with Janet Bloxwich at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Junior department, he won the Gilbert Innes Prize for Woodwind, then went on to study with Graham Sheen, Meyrick Alexander and Dan Jemison at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and at the Royal College of Music with Julie Price, Andrea de Flaminneis and Joostbosdijk, where he won the RCM Bassoon Prize and was generously supported by the Martin Musical Trust and Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarship.

As a soloist, Lawrence has appeared in China with the Amadeus Orchestra, France with Ensemble Cordiale, Greece with the Paxos Festival Ensemble, Italy with the Guildhall Chamber Orchestra; Talinn, Estonia and Edinburgh with the Perth Youth Orchestra. Lawrence has performed recitals at the Royal Festival Hall and Perth Festival of the Arts.

Lawrence is a keen chamber musician and has appeared at the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral and Barbican Centre and has taken part in the Cheltenham Festival Academy and Paxos Music Festival.

His professional experience includes the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and English National Opera. Lawrence has appeared as guest principal with the Symphony Orchestra of India, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and is currently on trial for principal bassoon with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.