Nigel Harrison

Nigel began playing piano aged 5 and clarinet aged 11. He was a Junior Exhibitioner at Trinity College of Music. He studied clarinet privately under Alan Hartwell, and was principal clarinet of the Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra. Subsequently, while at Medical School he sang leads in 5 Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas and played two piano concertos with the Charing Cross Hospital orchestra. 

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He joined the RAF as a medical officer (1979-1996), after which he took up the position of Consultant Cardiologist at Noble’s Hospital and rediscovered his music, becoming principal clarinet of Manx Sinfonia and IOMSO, and played the Krommer Double Clarinet concerto with his colleague Graham Platt. 

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In 2006 he emigrated to New Zealand to work as a specialist physician in Whangarei, Northland. He became principal clarinet of the Northland Sinfonia and with them he played two clarinet concertos - Krommer in E-flat and the Mozart. He was principal clarinet of the New Zealand Doctors’ Orchestra in 2012, 2013 and 2015. He first took up the baton in 2009 and was conductor of the Northland Sinfonia and Whangarei Choral Society from 2009-2014.

He and his wife, Caron, returned to the Isle of Man in 2014 and he resumed his role as principal clarinet of the Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra. He played the Stanford clarinet concerto in 2017 and the Bruch double concerto with Roy Baker on viola in 2021. He became musical director of the Ramsey Choral in 2014. He first conducted the Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra in 2023.

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Now retired from Medicine he and wife Caron are living in Ballaugh. Since retirement Nigel has embarked on a new career as a Guard on the Isle of Man Steam Railway!