Richard Scholfield
Scottish Classical Saxophonist
United Kingdom
Légère have created an amazing material which has totally transformed the way I approach the saxophone. Their reeds create a beautiful and complex sound whilst also providing a consistency that you simply can't find with cane. Légère gives me a sense of freedom in my playing, as I have the confidence that when I pick up the instrument I will get the same control and response every time.
Richard Scholfield is an award-winning Scottish saxophonist praised for his “silken” sound (The Scotsman) and thoughtful programming. Specialising as a soloist and chamber musician, he forges a deep connection with audiences through his characterful playing and careful presentation, drawing them into the world of the saxophone as he explores both its storied past and bright future.
Richard is passionate about chamber music, and his collaborations with other artists are diverse and wide-ranging. His Tunnell Trust award-winning duo with pianist Iain Clarke (Scholfield-Clarke Duo) give regular concerts across the UK, and have performed at venues such as Perth Concert Hall and St Martin-in-the-Fields. In October 2024 they will embark on their latest Scottish tour, featuring a major new commission from composer Tom W Green. Richard is also a frequent guest with the Resol String Quartet, creating unique quintet programmes which feature his innovative arrangements, and they have performed together across Scotland, especially in tours visiting rural communities.
Richard features on two recent album releases, the most recent being Building Castles from Live Music Now Scotland and Delphian Records (August 2024), featuring a new work from Scottish composer Erin Thomson entitled 'The Graceful Art of Walking on Stilts'. His playing can also be heard on the album 'Don't Add to Heartache' (March 2024), in collaboration with soprano Stephanie Lamprea, composer Tom W Green, and a host of other talented improvisers - with live recordings from their multidisciplinary, semi-improvised show 'Anthropocene Garden' at the 2023 Hidden Door Festival in Edinburgh.
When he isn't performing on-stage, Richard also spends much of his time writing new arrangements and transcriptions. Recently, he was commissioned to create an orchestral arrangement of William Grant Still's Romance, to be performed by Metropolitan Opera principal bass trombonist Denson Paul Pollard in concerto appearances in the 2023/2024 season. He also delights in the process of re-interpreting and experimenting with historical works through the lens of his own distinctly modern instrument, and is always on the lookout for music that might fit into his solo repertoire or suit one of his many diverse chamber projects. As well as solo and duo transcriptions from composers such as J.S. Bach, Frédéric Chopin, Amy Beach and Olivier Messiaen, he has created original arrangements for a huge variety of chamber ensembles – from duos for clarinet and saxophone, through to larger quartet and quintet projects, as well as choral arrangements for community choirs that he directs.
Richard is a 2020 City Music Foundation artist, and gained second prize in the 2024 Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition at Mayfield Festival. He was also the recipient of the 2023 Arosa Kultur Hans-Schaeuble Award, giving him the chance to travel to Switzerland for a recital tour in March 2024. In the 2023/2024 season he gave several concerto performances in collaboration with conductor and composer Darrell Davison, performing his new triple saxophone concerto The Garden of Earthly Delights with orchestras in Croydon, Cambridge, Epsom and Sevenoaks, and in the past he has also performed concerti with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Edinburgh Youth Orchestra and the Kelvin Ensemble. Richard can regularly be seen in concert around Scotland with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the orchestra of Scottish Opera.
Richard gained a Master of Arts degree in saxophone performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2019 under Josef Pacewicz and visiting professor Arno Bornkamp. He has also attended several prestigious national and international courses, including the Arosa Music Academy (2023), London Sinfonietta Academy (2019) and European University of Saxophone (2019). During his studies he was awarded the Governors’ Recital Prize for Woodwind, as well as being awarded twice the Governors’ Recital Prize for Chamber Music, and first prize in the Woodwind Concerto Competition.
Richard plays a Selmer Series II Alto Saxophone with a Selmer Supreme neck, and a Selmer Mark VI Soprano Saxophone (with Lagan Wrist Saver). He plays on a Selmer S90 180 alto mouthpiece, and a Selmer Concept soprano mouthpiece, exclusively using Legere synthetic reeds across all saxophones.
Richard Scholfield is an award-winning Scottish saxophonist praised for his “silken” sound (The Scotsman) and thoughtful programming. Specialising as a soloist and chamber musician, he forges a deep connection with audiences through his characterful playing and careful presentation, drawing them into the world of the saxophone as he explores both its storied past and bright future.
Richard is passionate about chamber music, and his collaborations with other artists are diverse and wide-ranging. His Tunnell Trust award-winning duo with pianist Iain Clarke (Scholfield-Clarke Duo) give regular concerts across the UK, and have performed at venues such as Perth Concert Hall and St Martin-in-the-Fields. In October 2024 they will embark on their latest Scottish tour, featuring a major new commission from composer Tom W Green. Richard is also a frequent guest with the Resol String Quartet, creating unique quintet programmes which feature his innovative arrangements, and they have performed together across Scotland, especially in tours visiting rural communities.
Richard features on two recent album releases, the most recent being Building Castles from Live Music Now Scotland and Delphian Records (August 2024), featuring a new work from Scottish composer Erin Thomson entitled 'The Graceful Art of Walking on Stilts'. His playing can also be heard on the album 'Don't Add to Heartache' (March 2024), in collaboration with soprano Stephanie Lamprea, composer Tom W Green, and a host of other talented improvisers - with live recordings from their multidisciplinary, semi-improvised show 'Anthropocene Garden' at the 2023 Hidden Door Festival in Edinburgh.
When he isn't performing on-stage, Richard also spends much of his time writing new arrangements and transcriptions. Recently, he was commissioned to create an orchestral arrangement of William Grant Still's Romance, to be performed by Metropolitan Opera principal bass trombonist Denson Paul Pollard in concerto appearances in the 2023/2024 season. He also delights in the process of re-interpreting and experimenting with historical works through the lens of his own distinctly modern instrument, and is always on the lookout for music that might fit into his solo repertoire or suit one of his many diverse chamber projects. As well as solo and duo transcriptions from composers such as J.S. Bach, Frédéric Chopin, Amy Beach and Olivier Messiaen, he has created original arrangements for a huge variety of chamber ensembles – from duos for clarinet and saxophone, through to larger quartet and quintet projects, as well as choral arrangements for community choirs that he directs.
Richard is a 2020 City Music Foundation artist, and gained second prize in the 2024 Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition at Mayfield Festival. He was also the recipient of the 2023 Arosa Kultur Hans-Schaeuble Award, giving him the chance to travel to Switzerland for a recital tour in March 2024. In the 2023/2024 season he gave several concerto performances in collaboration with conductor and composer Darrell Davison, performing his new triple saxophone concerto The Garden of Earthly Delights with orchestras in Croydon, Cambridge, Epsom and Sevenoaks, and in the past he has also performed concerti with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Edinburgh Youth Orchestra and the Kelvin Ensemble. Richard can regularly be seen in concert around Scotland with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the orchestra of Scottish Opera.
Richard gained a Master of Arts degree in saxophone performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2019 under Josef Pacewicz and visiting professor Arno Bornkamp. He has also attended several prestigious national and international courses, including the Arosa Music Academy (2023), London Sinfonietta Academy (2019) and European University of Saxophone (2019). During his studies he was awarded the Governors’ Recital Prize for Woodwind, as well as being awarded twice the Governors’ Recital Prize for Chamber Music, and first prize in the Woodwind Concerto Competition.
Richard plays a Selmer Series II Alto Saxophone with a Selmer Supreme neck, and a Selmer Mark VI Soprano Saxophone (with Lagan Wrist Saver). He plays on a Selmer S90 180 alto mouthpiece, and a Selmer Concept soprano mouthpiece, exclusively using Legere synthetic reeds across all saxophones.