Born in Melbourne in 1948, Richard began percussion and timpani studies at the Sydney Conservatorium, with the Sydney Symphony's timpanist, Alard Maling. He then joined the ABC's newly formed National Training Orchestra, and soon after began playing casually with the Sydney Symphony.
Five years overseas study followed, mainly in Los Angeles with Forest Clark and Mitchell Peters of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, lessons supported by forays into the Hollywood's rock and jazz scene, particularly in nightclubs. But his major influence after moving to New York was Fred Hinger, timpanist with the Philadelphia Orchestra for many years, and later timpanist at the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera.
After two further years, in Britain and Europe, pursuing his jazz and rock career, he returned to Australia to take up a position as percussionist in the Sydney Symphony. Friendship with Michael Askill led to involvement in the early days of the percussion ensemble Synergy, and brought close involvement with Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards, Nigel Westlake and many other of Australia's leading composers.
Richard then became a percussion teacher at the Sydney Conservatorium, where he has taught a new generation of young percussionists, including Rebecca Lagos, Alison Eddington (winner of the ABC's Young Performers Awards in 1995), Brian Nixon, Tim White (principal percussionist with the West Australian Symphony) and David Montgomery (principal percussionist with the Queensland Symphony).
Since becoming the Sydney Symphony's principal timpanist in 1986, Richard has performed with almost all the major performance ensembles in Sydney. He is married with four children, all of whom are musicians.
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