Gillian Hughes is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she was a pupil of Yona Ettlinger. For a number of years after leaving the Guildhall she taught woodwind and directed chamber ensembles and youth wind bands for Harrow Education Authority. In 1990, having returned to the Guildhall, she qualified as a State Registered Music Therapist and is now a member of the Bedfordshire Music Therapy Team, working throughout the county with children with a wide variety of special needs. Gillian has played in many chamber groups, particularly wind quintets and clarinet quartets and she regularly gives recitals, accompanied by her husband Trevor. In 2000 they premièred Douglas Coombes’ Concerto for Clarinet and Organ, a work specially written for them. At present Gillian is the Principal Clarinettist for Trinity Orchestra, based in Harrow, a post she has held for the last 18 years. With this orchestra she has performed the solo clarinet concertos of Mozart and Finzi and, together with Colin Lawson, Krommer’s Double Clarinet Concerto. Recently, together with the orchestra’s other wind principals, she gave a repeat performance of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante. Gillian is also the Bass Clarinettist with the Hatfield Philharmonic Orchestra. (November 2001)