Peter Whelan, Bassoon
Equally at home on modern and historical instruments, Peter Whelan has a diverse repertoire that spans over four centuries. As a concerto soloist, he has appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Bach Consort Wien, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and the Irish Baroque Orchestra (of which he is principal bassoon).
He recently toured Mexico as soloist with the ensemble La Serenissima, with whom he is currently recording a series of Vivaldi bassoon concertos on the Avie label.
Peter was appointed principal bassoon of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 2008 having previously held the position of principal bassoon with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra . Peter is in great demand as an orchestral musician, and has worked with many of Europe's finest ensembles including the London Philharmonic Orchestra; the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (conducted by Sir Simon Rattle); the Gustav Mahler Chamber Orchestra; the English Baroque Soloists; Le Concert D'Astree; and Oper Zurich.
Peter is also a keen chamber musician. He regularly plays at the Wigmore Hall and in 2007, he won both first prize and the audience prize at the Brugge International Competition performing with the ensemble Xacona.
Peter received his early musical training in Ireland at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. After graduating from Trinity College, Dublin, with a first-class degree in music (2000), Peter won a Swiss Government Scholarship to study with Professor Sergio Azzolini at the Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel.
