Richard Rourke

Tutti Clarinet

Richard Rourke graduated with merit from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1988, where he studied clarinet with Gabor Reeves and John St George. He freelanced in London for two years, studying with Margaret Archibald and John McCaw, and since 1992 has been a permanent member of the Opera Australia Orchestra, performing at the Sydney Opera House with Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet. He has worked with international conductors such as Richard Bonynge, Simone Young and Richard Hickox, and with singers including Luciano Pavarotti and Bryn Terfel.

An active soloist and chamber musician, Richard has premiered numerous Australian works and collaborated with Sydney composer Alan Holley for over thirty years. He has also performed with the Sydney Symphony, the Australia Ensemble, and in 2010 joined the Australian Chamber Orchestra for a trans‑Atlantic tour that included Tanglewood and major European summer festivals. In 2014 he received grants from the George and Nerissa Johnson Memorial Scholarship Bequest and the PPCA Performers ’Trust Foundation for professional development in New York with clarinettists of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and in 2026 he was awarded a Johnson Scholarship to perform, study and give masterclasses in South Korea and Japan.

Richard is an artist of Yamaha Music Australia.

Fun fact: Richard enjoys sailing and bushwalking, and tries to “go bush” a few times a year to clear his head.