Mark O'Keeffe

Creative Scotland winner 2003, Mark O’Keeffe has held the post of principal trumpet with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra since December 1996. He is a native of County Cork, Ireland, where he began his musical studies at the age of seven. After playing in the local brass band and receiving trumpet lessons from his father, his love of the trumpet developed.

In 1992, after studying at the Cork School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music, Mark was chosen as the winner of the RTE Musician of the Future competition. On his return to Ireland later that year, he was appointed Associate Principal Trumpet of the National Symphony Orchestra, a post he held for four years.

Over the past twelve years he has appeared as soloist with the BBCSSO performing new works by Judith Bingham, Mark Anthony Turnage, Thea Musgrave and Tansy Davies, as well as concertos by Telemann, Hummel and Shostakovich. He records solo repertoire on the Delphian label. Mark's website can be found at www.markotrumpet.com

In addition to his career with the BBCSSO, he is a committed chamber musician playing with ensembles which share his passion for new music, including guest Principal Trumpet with London Sinfonietta, London Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Halle Orchestra.

His teachers include Murray Greig, John Wallace, Bo Nilsson and Fritz Damrow. Mark O’Keeffe teaches at the RSAMD Glasgow where he has completed, with distinction, a Masters degree in trumpet performance.