Quoted at the Black Dyke Brass Arts Festival, the internationally acclaimed maestro Elgar Howarth described Richard as “the most outstanding cornet player this country has every produced.”

Having been brought up in a brass banding family, Richard began playing the cornet at the age of nine and was taught by Ken Johnson. Mr Johnson saw Richards potential and he joined his first band, Hatfield Colliery on third cornet and progressed through the ranks to become Principal Cornet at eleven years old.

Richard held the position of Principal Cornet of the world famous Black Dyke Band, a position that is heralded as the “hottest seat in banding”, for twenty years. Previously he was Principal Cornet for ten years with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band before Richard fulfilled his childhood ambition and followed in the footsteps of some of his cornet heroes and moved to the Queensbury based band in January 2006.

As a respected and devoted teacher, Richard is a cornet tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He is a regular tutor on the International Brass Band Summer School, the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain and the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band.

Richard has released to date six solo recordings, The Debutante (1999), Blaze (2005), Eminence (2007), The Cornet Heritage Collection Volume 1 (2010), Volume 2 (2013) and Sonatina (2020) all of which have been received with world wide acclaim, with Blaze, Eminence and Sonatina being awarded Solo CD of the Year.

Richard enjoys working alongside renowned composed to create new and exciting repertoire. Elgar Howarth’s Sonatina (2008) and Edward Gregson’s Cornet Concerto (2016) are two major works that were written for and dedicated to Richard. Essentials, written by Philip Wilby and in collaboration with Richard are Brass Studies for the Twenty- First Century. This study book contains a number of advanced studies designed to be technically challenging for advanced players.

As a performer Richard has travelled to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, America and several European countries. He has performed in many iconic venues such as Sydney Opera House and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Richard is an Oldroyd Musical Instruments Ambassador and plays exclusively on the Evo Cornet. Also, as an Alliance Artist, Richard plays exclusively on the RM1a signature mouthpiece.

As a conductor, Richard is the Musical Director of the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band and Hatfield & Askern Colliery Band, as well as Resident Conductor of NASUWT Riverside Band.