Will Kidner

Will Kidner is a British bassoonist studying at the Royal College of Music where he is completing a masters in performance on bassoon with Sarah Burnett and Joost Bosdijk , supported by the C H Scholarship (2024) and Countess of Munster Derek Butler Award (2023). He has performed as guest principal with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, with the BBC Symphony and Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their pathway schemes and in 2025 was selected for the Chamber Orchestra of Europe Academy and Philharmonia Instrumental Fellowship. He regularly performs as principal with the RCM Symphony Orchestra, which includes performances at the BBC Proms and Helsinki Music Festival and was also invited to perform as principal with the German-Nordic Youth Orchestra at the Berlin Philharmonie and Kammermusiksaal.  

Whilst studying at the University of Oxford, he was awarded the Leask Music Scholarship, ISIS Ensemble Scholarship, the Stuart Craig award and successfully auditioned for the Britten Shostakovich Festival Orchestra. In the National Youth Orchestra (principal 2019-2021, section member 2017-2019), Will performed in venues across the UK including the BBC Proms and a tour to Berlin Konzerthaus to perform in the Young Euro Classics.  

 Will has received mentorship from masterclasses with Sergio Azzolini, Theo Plath, Amy Harman and Bram van Sambeek at the RCM and Auden Halvorsen and Fredrik Erkdahl, whilst attending Voksenåsen Music Academy. In 2024, he established a bassoon quartet who enjoy performing regularly and recorded a world first composition for bassoon quartet and rapper by composer and youtuber David Bruce.