The coming year sees Neil start his 35th season as an LSO member and 25 years as Head of the Timpani and Percussion Department at the Royal Academy of Music.
Neil has worked closely with many major artists/conductors and as a soloist with Sir Colin Davis, Pierre Boulez, Steve Reich, Karl Jenkins, Ravi Shankar, Kent Nagano, Francois Xavier-Roth, and Elgar Howarth.
The EMI recording of Karl Jenkins Marimba and Triple Concerto’s for Percussion, Flutes and Keyboards, was released to wide critical acclaim, as was the Grammy nominated Bartok Concerto for 2 Pianos and Percussion for Deutsche Grammophon with Pierre Boulez.
In both live and studio situations, Neil has worked closely with many composers for over 150 film scores, notably John Williams, James Horner, Patrick Doyle, Trevor Jones and Alexandre Desplat with their music for films such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Braveheart, Notting Hill, Twilight: New Moon and Unbroken.
Neil’s has also worked with pop and jazz artists including Herbie Hancock, Elvis Costello, Natalie Cole, Dave Brubeck, Joe Zawinul, Tony Bennett, Luther Vandross, Vince Mendoza and Laura Mvula.
Neil and Tim Garland premiered the double concerto for saxophones with the LSO.
As a clinician and educator Neil has given master classes at leading conservatoires and percussion events across the world, and coached many of the worlds leading youth orchestras including Music Academy of the West, Pacific Music Festival Orchestra and the NYO.
Together with the LSO Percussion Group’s LSOLive recording of Steve Reich’s ‘ Sextet, Neil also directed the Royal Academy Ensemble for 'Reich for Percussion’, released by RAM in 2013.
The LSO Percussion Group has released 2 further CD’s, ‘Quartet/Quintet’ featuring Gwil Simcock and ‘Ocean Floor’ featuring Ayanna Witter-Johnson.
Neil has enjoyed a long relationship with Zildjian cymbals, Yamaha, together with Evans Drumheads and Vic Firth Mallets.
