Instrument: Trombone

Geoff Perkins studied the trombone at the Guildhall School of Music under Denis Wick, the Principal trombonist with the London Symphony Orchestra.

After college, Geoff Perkins began a very busy freelance career as a bass trombone player with all the London orchestras, combined with many pop sessions, recordings and jazz tours. Whilst playing regularly with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia he had the opportunity to work under the batons of Sir George Solti, Klaus Tennstedt, Lorin Maazel, Leonard Bernstein, Andre Previn, Bernard Haitink and many other conductors, including Sir Edward Heath. He also had the good fortune to record with the English Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Benjamin Britten.

In a lighter vein, Geoff Perkins has performed with American artists such as Sammy Davis Junior, Peggy Lee, Shirley McLaine and Perry Como and toured extensively with Frank Sinatra, performing concerts in Milan, Teheran, Jerusalem, Cairo and London. As a member of the WDR Cologne Radio Big Band he toured India, Hong Kong and the Philipines. He played in many recording sessions in London, backing numerous British artists, including Cliff Richard, Petula Clarke, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Grace Jones etc. He has also been a member of the Stan Tracey Big Band, John Dankworth Orchestra, the Mike Westbrook Band and many others and has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, with Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon and Maynard Ferguson.

Geoff Perkins now lives in Bristol after a career spanning thirty years as a trombonist in the music industry, and is now interested in concentrating more on his teaching career, which includes private pupils and has included teaching at the London College of Music, the Central London Foundation School for Boys, Badminton School and Clifton College.