Roger Huckle

Roger pursued his studies in violin at the Birmingham Conservatoire under the guidance of Frederick Grinke. He was a member of Norway’s Bergen Philharmonic and has collaborated with some of the UK’s leading orchestras including the London Concertante and Opera Box Orchestra.

Originally from Bristol, Roger’s early passion centred around sports, although music was an integral part of his life. Thanks to his mother’s profession as a music teacher he was regularly exposed to live concerts and all sorts of alternative musical experiences. This instilled in him a deep appreciation for music which ultimately steered him towards a career as a professional violinist.

Roger’s curiosity about music has led him to explore various genres and has seen him perform on modern, baroque, and electric instruments, and feature on recordings for the BBC, Aardman Animations and the iconic Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ Come On Eileen.

In the early 1990s a work life balance was needed with the arrival of two children. Wanting to move away from constant travel requirements led to the creation of the Bristol Ensemble in 1994, a professional orchestra that Bristol and the West sorely needed. Since its inception the ensemble has flourished, becoming a cornerstone of the South West of England’s music scene.

My goal has always been to touch people emotionally with our performances and I still feel it’s our duty to connect with audiences, make them feel welcome, and hopefully send them away uplifted.

In addition to his work with the Bristol Ensemble Roger is active as a conductor and composer, and collaborates regularly with the band Standing Waves. He is dedicated to music education through the Bristol Ensemble’s education branch Preludes Music, an initiative that brings weekly music education to underserved communities in Bristol.

Beyond his musical endeavours Roger enjoys spending time at his second home in Norway, and although his favourite journey is Bergen to Oslo by road, he loves Bristol’s Downs and describes the tip of Worms Head at Rhossili in Gower as his favourite place in the world!