Barry Tuckwell

French horn player Barry Tuckwell was born in Australia but lived most of his life in the UK, relocating in 1950. In his home country he performed with Melbourne Symphony and Sydney Symphony orchestras. On his relocation, he took up his first seat with Hallé Orchestra before moving to Scottish National Orchestra then Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. He settled with a permanent seat with London Symphony Orchestra in the position of principal horn from 1955 to 1968. After 13 years he left the orchestra to pursue a solo career, one which he enjoyed for three decades.

With more than 50 solo records to his credit, notably featuring his take on Mozart's horn concertos, his success earned him an esteemed reputation among his peers, and he was named the first president of the International Horn Society in 1970. He was also a renowned conductor, leading orchestras in the UK and America including Tasmanian and Maryland Symphony orchestras.

In 1997 at the age of 65, Tuckwell announced his retirement. He gave his final performance with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 1997. He passed away in January 2020 at the age of 88.