Peter Whelan : bassoon

Peter Whelan is one of Europe’s leading exponents of the historical and modern bassoon. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, he became the principal bassoonist of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 2008. 

Peter has worked with many of Europe’s finest orchestras, among them the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Gustav Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and Oper Zürich with recent invitations to play with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.  Equally at home on historical instruments, he has a diverse repertoire spanning over four centuries and has performed with many of the world’s most distinguished baroque specialists and period ensembles, including Monica Huggett, Alfredo Bernardini, Marc Minkowski, Sir Simon Rattle (with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment), the English Concert, English Baroque Soloists and Le Concert d’Astrée.

As a concerto soloist Peter has toured Europe and Mexico, appearing with the Bach Consort Wien (at the Musikverein), the Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Robin Ticciati, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and the Irish Baroque Orchestra.  His 2009 recording of Vivaldi bassoon concertos with La Serenissima (Vivaldi — the French Connection) received widespread critical acclaim and was subsequently awarded a Gramophone Award for the Best Baroque Instrumental category in 2010.  Peter is also a keen chamber musician and in 2010 made his debut with London Winds and the Belcea Quartet.

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), he won a Swiss Government Scholarship to study with Professor Sergio Azzolini at the Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel. Peter is now a committed teacher in his own right and has recently joined the teaching faculty of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow and has recently given a masterclass at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.