John Starkes

John Starkes started playing at the tender age of 4 years. It was pretty clear that playing a Euphonium was all he ever wanted to do. By the young age of 7 as a Euphonium player in the Inverness Salvation army he was already travelling round the north of Scotland learning his art as a stand up soloist. John was also able to enter many solo competitions under the guidance of his musical instructor John Lacy which he was able to win these occasions set him up for his life as a performer from a very early age.

At the age of 18 John joined the renowned Govan Citadel band of the salvation army were under the guidance of John Bailie John further improved his craft and was given the opportunity to Solo more afield around Britain and into Europe. On leaving Govan John became a member of the Boscombe Citadel Band were he really started to learn his craft under the Late Geoff Otter and former principle Graham Lawrence.

John still resides as principle Euphonium under the esteemed leadership and guidance of Musical Director Howard Evans. This period has seen John performing all over Britain on a regular basis he has Performed abroad in Sweden, North and South America and Canada and has been involved in no fewer than 20 CDs and as well as his role with the Boscombe SA Band John was principle Euphonium in the Egon Virtuosi Band, The Clarence Adoo Band and the Fuco Brass Band. John is also a member of the SWT Woodfalls Band under the esteemed leadership of Professor Nic Childs and Melvin White. John has been a guest soloist at The Edinburgh Festival weekend, The Enfield Spring Festival and 4 times at the Bournemouth Pavilion as recent as October John was the Soloist in the Ford Centre in Toronto. John has just come back from the International Brass Band Summer School where he was presented with the British Bandsman performers award.

John is looking forward to using the York Eminence Euphonium the finest Euphonium on the market today to further enhance his playing and under the guidance of Howard Evans and the Boscombe SA band he will have many opportunities to do so in the future starting with an already packed calendar.