Meet Michael Collins

We sat down with Michael Collins ahead of his Clairent Spotlight Series this January.

When did you start playing the clarinet, and how did you choose the instrument?

I started the clarinet when I was seven years old. Before that I played the violin for a few months and the cello also but wasn’t suited to them. After attending a Sir Robert Mayor concert for kids, I heard the clarinet in a symphony orchestra and from that point it was only the clarinet I ever wanted to play.

How has your approach to playing and performing changed over the years?

I suppose I have matured like a fine wine over the years. You learn to take more risks with playing both musically and technically, even if sometimes they don’t come off. I can feel and hear in myself how my performance has grown, and grown naturally and not been forced into developing too soon which is always a risk nowadays.

What sets Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1 apart from other clarinet concertos?

Weber writes brilliantly for the clarinet, full of virtuosity and drama. I like playing the First Concerto very much because of its slightly more lyrical approach [compared to the Second]. One of the Concerto’s outstanding features is a moment in the second movement when a quartet of solo clarinet and three horns takes the lead and produces a unique and magical effect. As it happens, I first played this Concerto when I was 17 with the Philharmonia, which I shall never forget.

You used to be the Philharmonia’s Principal Clarinet. How does playing as part of the Orchestra compare to being the soloist?

Playing clarinet in the Orchestra is quite different from being a soloist. One of the biggest differences I feel is when playing in the Orchestra you have to conform and play in a very ensemble-like fashion and blend with your colleagues. As a soloist, I am free to concentrate on creating different sound worlds, being free with rubato and projecting my own personality through the music. This isn’t to say that playing in the Orchestra you can’t do any of this, but as a soloist you have to do all these things and a little more.

What are you most looking forward to on this tour of our Canterbury, Bedford, Leicester and Basingstoke residency venues?

I love playing concerts in the regions. It is extremely important to take concerts to these venues, especially as a lot of people cannot travel to hear the Orchestra in London. I always find a warmth and generosity from audiences in these residency venues. I love the atmosphere, and the enthusiasm is electric.

What music do you enjoy listening to when you’re not working?

I suppose I am quite reserved when it comes to listening to music when I am not working. As I have a dual role as clarinettist and conductor, I am often listening to works I am learning as a conductor which takes up a lot of my time. When I need a break from that, then I adore Haydn and Beethoven String Quartets. I find them a real palette cleanser.