Chris Richards

One of Britain's most prominent orchestral wind players, Chris Richards is the principal clarinetist of the London Symphony Orchestra. He is also an important educator. Richards has performed as a soloist with such groups as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, as well as the London Symphony. Richards appeared as a session clarinetist on several albums, including Mike Oldfield's 2008 release Music of the Spheres. That year also saw Richards premiere Richard Rodney Bennett's Troubadour Music for clarinet and piano at Wigmore Hall. In 2020, he was featured on the London Symphony's Classic Diamonds album of orchestrally arranged songs by pop star Neil Diamond. In 2022, Richards was heard on the London Symphony's album Nazareno!, performing Leonard Bernstein's Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs.