Jonny Bates

Jonathan Bates is a tenor horn soloist and clinician hailing from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. In 2012 he became only the 2nd ever tenor horn player to reach the televised category final of BBC Young Musician of the Year following 2 consecutive appearances in the final of the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Soloist of the Year in 2010 & 2011. Since then, he has recorded the tenor horn sample audio for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) grade exams, appeared as a guest soloist in the UK, Germany, Denmark, Norway & Switzerland and in 2019 became the first ever guest tenor horn artist to be invited to perform at the International Tuba & Euphonium Conference (ITEC) held in Iowa, USA, performing the world premiere of the brass band adaption of Anthony DiLorenzo’s Zodiac Concerto accompanied by the Fountain City Brass Band.

He currently holds the position of Principal Horn with the world famous Foden’s Brass Band, having previously held the same position with the Grimethorpe Colliery and Black Dyke Bands, winning Regional, English National, British National, British Open and European Championships in his time with the latter. Jonathan had previously played with the Brighouse & Rastrick and Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Bands having started his career with the Elland Silver Band as a graduate of their youth band system.
To date, Jonathan also remains the youngest ever member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, joining the band a week after his 12th birthday. He went on to attend 14 courses, 8 of which as Principal Horn and winning both the Katie Ogden and Harry Mortimer Solo Awards along with the Harold & Bernard Tovey Memorial Award for Outstanding Musical Contribution in 2011. He also appeared at the BBC Proms as Principal Horn of the band in 2012.

Following the completion of an Extended Diploma in Classical Music from Leeds College of Music, Jonathan went on to graduate from the Royal Northern College of Music in 2017 with 1st Class honours in Performance & Composition before completing a Postgraduate International Artist’s Diploma in Chamber Music as a member of A4 Brass Quartet, with whom he has won several awards such as the Royal Overseas League Chamber Music Competition, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble Prize, Christopher Rowland Ensemble of the Year at the RNCM and the Royal Philharmonic Society Henderson Award, coupled with several appearances on ITV and BBC Radio 3.