Richard Durrant: The Open Fund for Music Creators
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Richard Durrant - Ukulele Concerto
Composer and guitarist Richard Durrant is writing a ukulele concerto.
“The Ukulele is an important part of my life and I want to create something permanent for the instrument. This will make a valuable addition to the repertoire of my own ensemble. I’ve long evangelised about this little wooden box, touring internationally, contrasting its beautiful nimble notes with the sound of my big concert guitar. I produced the album The Meaning of Life by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (2004) and, more recently, developed Ukulele Circuit Training to help uke player’s musical and instrumental awareness.”
Richard’s playing is richly romantic, truly virtuosic and ignores musical boundaries. His shows enjoy cult status with his natural, easygoing style and innovative use of multi-media. He’s appeared as guest soloist with the RPO (Royal Albert Hall), played in the wilds of South America and tiny English village halls. He’s toured continuously for thirty years now, uncovering new repertoire – arranging and composing along the way. Richard recently recorded his new work The Girl at the Airport (for guitar and strings) with the City of Prague Philharmonic.
During an average year, Richard travels c.35,000 miles. Recently, in an effort to pay back some of his carbon footprint, he cycled over 3,000 miles playing fifty Cycling Music UK concerts carrying his stage show in panniers and trailer.
Richard was recently added to Brighton’s Walk of Fame. He is Patron of Sussex based Guitars on the Beach and a proud Ambassador for the Brighton Youth Orchestra.