Black Dyke Band are delighted to announce that John Wilson has agreed to become the band’s Honorary President. 

John Wilson is in demand at the highest level across the globe, regularly guest conducting the world’s finest orchestras; in recent seasons, these have included the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Budapest Festival, Oslo Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and Sydney Symphony orchestras, and productions at English National Opera and Glyndebourne Summer Festival. For many years Wilson appeared widely across the UK and abroad with the John Wilson Orchestra, and in 2018 he relaunched the Sinfonia of London, with whom he has recorded several award-winning CDs covering a huge range of repertoire from Respighi through to Britten and Dutilleux. In 2021 Wilson and the Sinfonia of London made their much-anticipated debut performance at the BBC Proms, described by The Guardian as “truly outstanding”.  This year, the orchestra will appear on the second night of the Proms in a concert of English music.

Wilson has a large and varied discography, and the most recent recordings with the Sinfonia of London have received exceptional acclaim, winning the BBC Music Magazine Orchestral Award three years running.

Born in Gateshead, Wilson studied composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music, where in 2011, he was made a Fellow. In March 2019, John Wilson was awarded the prestigious ISM Distinguished Musician Award for his services to music, and in 2021 was appointed Henry Wood Chair of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.

Commenting on his appointment, John said, “I am greatly honoured and delighted to become President of the Black Dyke Band. I grew up playing in brass bands, and my respect, admiration and affection for them has never dimmed”. Chairman of the Board of Black Dyke Band Trustees, Trevor Caffull, commented, “We are delighted that John Wilson has agreed to be our Honorary President and very excited with some of the initial thoughts shared regarding potential collaborations. In his early life, John was steeped in brass band culture. He has clearly lost none of his enthusiasm for the genre – we are very optimistic that this will evolve into a mutually rewarding association”.