ABOUT RICHARD

Richard trained at the Royal College of Music in London, where he won all the college guitar prizes. He gave his debut at the South Bank Centre in London in 1986. He is a musical polymath who uses the guitar as his main tool for musical exploration, but he is also a true multi-instrumentalist whose renditions of JS Bach on the “wrong” instruments (ukulele, banjo, mandolin etc..) are as beautiful as they are controversial. Richard is also a prolific composer who has written for film and television as well as the concert hall.

Richard can often be found working as music educator, community arts supporter, producer and composer. In 2002 he recieved an award from Prince Charles for his support of art in the community, in 2010 he was made a Fellow of the London College of Music for professional achievement. He has written for & collaborated with musicians from classical, folk and jazz backgrounds. His record label, LongMan Records (set up in 1995) reflects these wide musical interests; amongst many releases on the label he produced the seminal “The Secret of Life” by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Richard has released a number of his own, successful, solo albums.

His latest solo album: “The Number 26 Bus To Paraguay” (LongMan056CD), featuring the music of Agustin Barrios, was launched during Richard’s tour of Paraguay  in May this year. Carlos Salcedo (author of ‘El Inalcanzable’ and a world authority on the music of Barrios, living in Paraguay) has heard the new album: “All the tracks are wonderful. I think even Barrios himself would be an admirer of Durrant’s style of playing, his interpretations. I have never heard anything like it. Durrant seems to be having fun with each measure, with each phrase and passage, each different, each delicate.” During the Paraguayan tour Richard was made an "Illustrious Visitor" to mark his contribution to Paraguayan culture.