Michael Collins (clarinetist)

Michael Collins (born 27 January 1962) is a British clarinetist and conductor. One of the foremost clarinetists of his generation, he has served as the principal of the Philharmonia Orchestra and London Sinfonietta. Collins has performed widely as a soloist and played on over 35 recordings on several record labels. He has also served as the conductor of several orchestras and was the principal conductor of the City of London Sinfonia from 2010 to 2018.

Early life

Collins was born on 27 January 1962 in Isleworth, West London. He began playing the clarinet aged seven after attending a London Symphony Orchestra performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade suite, which inspired him to take up the instrument. He went on to study clarinet at the Royal College of Music as a youth under David Hamilton and Thea King. Collins had previously attempted to learn the cello and violin but did not fit the instruments well. At the age of 16, he won the 1978 BBC Young Musician woodwind prize and performed at the competition's inaugural grand finale. Aged 18, he briefly studied at the Juilliard in New York City with Stanley Drucker before deciding to return to studying under King. After his return, Collins was invited to join the Nash Ensemble and the London Sinfonietta in 1981.

Career

Collins has served as the principal clarinet of several orchestras, including the Philharmonia Orchestra (1987–1995) and London Sinfonietta. He also performs as a soloist and as part of chamber ensembles. Solo performances have included work with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Proms, having made his debuts in 1982 and 1984 respectively. Collins has a large repertoire which includes several works by British composers, like Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Britten. He has also commissioned and performed various works by modern composers; pieces premiered by Collins include Adams' Gnarly Buttons, Turnage's Riffs and Refrains, Dean's Ariel's Music and Elliott Carter's Clarinet Concerto. Collins plays on Yamaha clarinets and has advised the company on their designs. He has been described as "one of the best clarinettists walking the planet" by The Times and a "virtuoso" by The Sydney Morning Herald. In 2019, he appeared in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Legends series, where he was described as "one of the top clarinettists on the world stage at th[at] moment".

Collins taught at the Royal College of Music from 1985 to 1995. He has served as the principal conductor of the City of London Sinfonia (2010–2018) and has guest conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Zurich Chamber Orchestra and London Mozart Players, of which he was the artistic director from 2021 to 2023. Collins is the founder of the London Winds, a chamber ensemble which he toured with around Europe and North America.

Personal life

Collins was once married to Isabelle van Keulen; they had two children. In 2017, Collins underwent a successful surgery to treat bowel cancer. His favourite piece to perform is the Mozart Clarinet Concerto.

Awards and honours

• Concert Artists Guild (1982)
• Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) – nominated for the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards
• Instrumentalist of the Year (2007) – Royal Philharmonia Society
• Member of the British Empire (2015)
• AllMusic Year in Review: Favourite Classical Instrumental Albums (2020)

Recordings