Rachel Gough

Principal Bassoon

Member since 1999, Chair endowed by Brian & Susan Dickie

‘Having spent many years sawing away on the violin, I decided I’d like to try a wind instrument with a deeper sound, so I chose the bassoon. Little did I know back then that bassoons have the most fabulous position in the orchestra, sitting right in the middle, surrounded by incredible music-making.’

Rachel Gough read anthropology and music at King’s College, Cambridge, before gaining scholarships for postgraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music and the Hannover Hochschule für Musik with Klaus Thunemann. During this time, she was Principal Bassoon of the European Community Youth Orchestra and won the Gold Medal at the Royal Overseas League. Prior to joining the LSO in 1999, Rachel was Co-Principal with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, where she is now a Fellow.

Rachel has appeared as a soloist with Sir Colin Davis, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink, Sir Neville Marriner, Gianandrea Noseda and Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Several solo works have been written for her, including the London Concerto by Huw Watkins, commissioned as part of the LSO’s centenary celebrations. She has been a jury member on the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and the ARD International Music Competition in Munich.