Stacey Watton

Stacey is Principal Bass with the Primavera Chamber Orchestra, the English Classical Players, and the Johann Strauss Gala Orchestra and is a principal with the London Chamber Orchestra. He also appears as a guest principal with larger groups such as the Royal and London Philharmonics and the Hallé.

Much of his time is devoted to chamber music and orchestras performing on recordings, live television and radio broadcasts, as well as having a busy commercial career. He also finds time to pursue his secret passion for performing chamber music at the piano.

Stacey made his concerto début on the Bass at the age of thirteen and on the Piano at seventeen. He has since won the Eugene Cruft Prize for the Double Bass at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied as a scholar. He also appeared live on Russian television and radio after becoming a prize-winner at the Koussevitsky Double Bass competition in Moscow in 1995. Now forging a busy career as a soloist, Stacey has performed numerous concertos in world reknown venues and is one of the few bassists in England to make regular concerto appearances. He is recognised by other international artists as a remarkable talent and recently performed duo recitals with Steven Isserlis at the Bath Mozart Fest and the Wigmore Hall.

Well known for his exceptional flare for chamber music Stacey has had the pleasure of working with some of the world’s finest artists including Julian Rachlin, Nigel Kennedy, Daniel-Mueller-Schott, Anthony Marwood and Janine Jansen. His time with the English Chamber Orchestra also allowed him the priviledge of working with the likes of Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Maxim Vengerov, Teresa Berganza, Pincas Zuckerman, Monserrat Cabillé, Pavorotti, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Andras Schiff, Radu Lupu and Joshua Bell.  

Stacey’s new CD "VERTIGO" is his début as a solo recording artist, other recordings include the London Double Bass Sound with Gary Karr. Future recordings are planned with EMI Début and Hypérion.

After achieving some considerable success for his relatively short years in the classical world of music, including the creation of his classical group “The Esprit Ensemble Limited” Stacey has diversified into Video-Game music with his commercial artists contracting company “First Take Music”.