Richard Ireland

London-born into a musical family, Richard is one of the UK’s leading chamber musicians and has been a regular performer at all the major chamber music venues across Europe.

Richard is Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London – his ex-students hold principal positions in top orchestras and chamber ensembles across Europe. He is sought after as a performance coach by musicians at all stages of their careers. Richard is on the faculty of the Académie Internationale de Musique in France, the International Summer Academy of Chamber Music in Germany, Altalena Festival in Hungary, and Airas Nunes in Spain. He is a visiting professor for the Chamber Music in Residence series at Snape Maltings, has been Artist in Residence at Musica Mundi in Belgium, and is a guest professor at the Netherlands String Quartet Academy. Alongside his chamber music career Richard has been Guest Leader of orchestras such as the City of London Sinfonia, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Richard was lucky to study with Sheila Nelson throughout his childhood, then with Yossi Zivoni, and finally with Eli Goren and Shmuel Ashkenasi, both eminent quartet leaders. He was Teaching Assistant to Shmuel Ashkenasi in the USA for three years, Professor of Violin at the Royal Northern College of Music for thirteen years and
Professor of Chamber Music at the Royal College of Music.

In 2010 Richard founded ChamberStudio which provides high-level coaching and support to emerging professional chamber ensembles. He was Artistic Director/CEO until retiring in 2024.

In his free time, Richard is a keen mountain walker and wild camper together with his cellist wife and their 850 gram 2-man tent! He was a passionate rock climber until he broke a knuckle on his left hand and was told in no uncertain terms by his violin teacher that he had to choose one or the other! He holds a first-class Pure Mathematics degree from the Open University which he studied part time in his 30s. He has two children aged 31 and 29 who studied Physics and History and now both live and work in London.

In recognition of his teaching and his work creating ChamberStudio, Richard was awarded the 2014 Cobbett Medal by the Worshipful Company of Musicians. Previous recipients include Emanuel Hurwitz, Hugh Maguire, Pablo Casals, Yehudi Menuhin, Dame Myra Hess and even Sir Edward Elgar in 1928! In March 2017 he was awarded Honorary Associateship of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon ARAM) for special contribution to the institution.