Rhys Owens RIP

[martin mc hale]

If is with immense sadness to report that Rhys Owens, principal trumpet of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra passed away yesterday after succumbing to Motor Neurone Disease. He leaves behind a grieving family, fellow orchestra members and countless colleagues in the brass community. Rhys was a member of the RLPO for thirty years, starting as third trumpet but for the last 25 years leading the section and can be heard in many fine recordings with the orchestra ,including a dazzling contribution to Shostakovich piano concerto number 1 with Boris Giltburg and Vasily Petrenko. He was a sought after teacher at the Royal Northern College of music in Manchester and mentor to many young Welsh trumpeters through his work with the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.All of our lives are immeasurably poorer for his passing. RIP Rhys.