Antony Pay

Who is Antony Pay?

Antony Pay is a classical clarinetist. After gaining a place with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, with whom he performed the Mozart clarinet concerto at the ages of 16, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music and then read Mathematics at Cambridge University, graduating in 1966.

Principal Clarinet positions include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1968 to 1978, London Sinfonietta from 1968 to 1983 and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields from 1976 to 1986. A member of several chamber ensembles he has worked with the Nash Ensemble, the Tuckwell Wind Quintet, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble, and Hausmusik.

During his time with the London Sinfonietta he collaborated with a variety of composers, including Boulez, Stockhausen, Birtwistle, Henze, Maxwell Davies, Goehr and Berio. For the RCA he recorded Berio’s Concertino, with the composer conducting,and gave the first performance of Henze’s mini-concerto Miracle of the Rose, which was written for him to direct from the clarinet. He has previously been Professor of Clarinet at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1982 to 1990 and the Royal Academy of Music.