Donal Bannister
Donal Bannister, Principal Trombone of the
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, was born and grew up in Dublin.
His grandfather, George Bannister founded the first British style
Brass Band in the Republic of Ireland, and was also his first
teacher. Donal started as a euphonium player, but took up the
trombone at the age of 14.
In 1979 Donal entered Trinity College
Dublin, and in 1981 became only the second music student to win a
full scholarship. He was the overall winner of the RTE Musician of
the Future competition in 1980, and won a Fulbright Scholarship to
the Eastman School of Music, New York, where he studied trombone
with John Marcellus.
In 1987, Donal was appointed
co-Principal Trombone of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra where
spent the next 20 years. Whilst at Bournemouth, Donal developed a
varied career including arranging, composing, playing for
Bournemouth Symphonic Brass, teaching and conducting local
community orchestras. As a freelance musician, he
enjoyed performing with Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the
London Symphony Orchestra amongst others.
Donal joined the BBC National
Orchestra of Wales and the staff of RWCMD in 2007.