Tony studied the double bass from the age of 11 with Ronald Large in his native Staffordshire. He played with Staffordshire Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with the double bass virtuoso Thomas Martin.
Tony is Section Leader Double Bass of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra – CBSO (2016 to present). Being Principal Double bass of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London (2008-10 and 2012-16) fulfilled a lifetime ambition. Tony worked with world class conductors such as Daniele Gatti, Charles Dutoit and Leonard Slatkin and inspiring soloists such as Martha Argerich, Pinchas Zukerman and Yujia Wang.
Tony was Section leader with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (2010-2012). His years as Section leader with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (1997-2008), Scottish Opera (1987-89).
His solo career has included recordings of concerti for BBC Radio 3 and Radio Scotland including works by Bottesini,van- Hal, Edward McGuire and Gareth Glynn and a special recording to mark the Koussevitsky 125th anniversary of his birth for Radio 3.
He plays English basses by John Lott senior(c.1840) and William Howarth (1899) and his solo bass is by Pietro Tononi, Bologna Italy (1730). The Lott bass is a very significant instrument made in John Lott senior’s late period around 1840.
As a teacher, he has held positions at Chethams (Manchester), RSAMD (junior & senior) and as a guest at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal College of Music. His students enjoy professional playing and teaching positions, including City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra and Raidió Telefís Éireann. He is enjoying teaching and performance coaching at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Tony has been involved with ARCO since 2018 and has travelled to South Africa and India. He has been teaching ARCO India double bassist Anish Franklin online for the last few years and is delighted that Anish has finally made it to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for postgraduate study. Tony has run a “What it Takes” double bass course in 2019 in collaboration with the South African National Youth Orchestra and has travelled with the ARCO students to the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in 2022 and “Voorkamerfest” held in Darling in 2019. Tony has held fundraising concerts, brought instruments to South Africa and donated strings, bows and music to the project.