Farewell – Gareth Mollison

Thu 20 Aug, 2026

This summer we said farewell to horn player Gareth Mollison, who retired at the end of July after an impressive 40 years with the LPO.

Photo: Gareth Mollison (front centre) with his LPO Horn section colleagues L-R: John Ryan, Martin Hobbs, Mark Vines & Annemarie Federle

Gareth Mollison’s Horn section colleague and LPO Board President, Mark Vines, reflects:

‘Gareth ‘Gaz’ Mollison has been a member of the LPO for over 40 years; an exceptional achievement in any position, but particularly in the demanding and frequently very exposed role of the horn player.

The LPO had always been the orchestra for Gareth; as a student and a young professional he would often come and watch them, in particular to hear his idol Nick Busch on First Horn. It must have been an immensely proud moment for him to join the Orchestra in 1986 to play Second Horn to Nick.

Latterly, Gareth moved to Fourth Horn, and it was in this position that I’ve had the pleasure to sit next to him for 15 years. There are several things that would strike me about Gaz on an almost daily basis, and it won’t surprise anyone who knows him that one of these was his mischievous sense of humour. Apart from his huge repertoire of jokes (which would often leave the rest of us in stitches at the most awkward and inappropriate moments), his stated aim was to ‘make the whole Orchestra laugh in as few syllables as possible’ – something he frequently achieved, always with impeccable timing.

Another important facet of Gareth’s character is his warmth, which shows itself in his constant support and encouragement of the people around him. But above all, Gareth still maintains a genuine, undimmed and almost boyish enthusiasm for playing and listening to the horn. He leaves the Orchestra without any hint of that passion diminishing, and very much still at the top of his game.’

Thank you, Gareth, for your dedication, musicianship and friendship. Wishing you a long, happy and well-deserved retirement!