Visiting Fellow in Music Concert – Richard Tunnicliffe

To celebrate Oriel’s 700th anniversary, Oriel Fellow and Director of Music David Maw has organised a series of concerts featuring our past Visiting Fellows in Music.

Cellist and viola da gamba player Richard Tunnicliffe, will perform the music of Vivaldi, Bach, Handel and more with, accompanied harpsichordist Paul Nicholson.

The concert will take place at Oriel College on Friday, 8 May 2026 from 8pm

College members can book complimentary tickets by emailing the Music at Oxford box office directly: info@musicatoxford.com

Richard Tunnicliffe

In his long career Richard Tunnicliffe has performed and recorded a wide repertoire, drawn from six centuries of music. He was a founder member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with whom he has been orchestral principal, continuo cellist and viola da gamba soloist, and was a member of renowned viol consort Fretwork until 2015. He now divides his time between solo playing and chamber music.

His acclaimed solo recordings include a disc of Early Italian Cello Music, the 6 cello concerti by the 18^th century Durham-based composer John Garth which is broadcast frequently and a 2012 recording of Bach’s cello suites as well as several 20^th century works. He teaches baroque cello at the Royal College of Music.

Richard lives in Clun in South Shropshire. In 2018 he and his daughter, the violist Luba Tunnicliffe, founded a chamber music series, Clun Valley Music, which brings internationally renowned artists to Clun and surrounding villages. For details please visit www.clunvalleymusic.co.uk

Paul Nicholson

A music graduate of York University after study at Dartington College of Arts in Devon, Paul Nicholson has enjoyed a diverse musical career as an accompanist, chamber musician, soloist and director.

From early experience as coach and accompanist at the Britten-Pears School at Snape, and continuo playing at the Aldeburgh Festival, Paul became an increasingly eminent Early Keyboard specialist in chamber partnerships with The Locatelli Trio, Fretwork, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and many other leading period instrument ensembles, and he was Associate Musical Director of both the London Handel and Tilford Bach Festivals. His recordings for Hyperion have included the Handel Organ Concertos and Harpsichord Suites, and projects as guest-director and soloist with the Parley of Instrument Baroque Orchestra. More recently his musical life has broadened to include romantic and contemporary chamber music with piano.

Paul is also an Anglican Priest, and having served in the North London parishes of Belsize Park and Chalk Farm, he remains a Priest Vicar of Westminster Abbey and assists at churches in London and Bedfordshire, where he now lives.