"A swashbuckling, romantic fiddle player": Richard Durrant brings 5,000 years of history to Leeds debut
After 40 years of solo touring, acclaimed classical guitarist Richard Durrant is finally making his Leeds debut next month—after some help from his son.
When Richard Durrant takes the stage at Left Bank in May, it will mark a significant milestone in a career that spans four decades.
Despite his extensive global travels, this is his first time performing in the city—a venue choice guided by his son, Django, who is currently studying at the University of Leeds.
The choice of Left Bank, a Grade II listed former church, was a deliberate decision based on its unique atmosphere and sonic qualities. For a solo acoustic guitarist, the environment is just as important as the instrument itself.
"Every gig space is unique, but the guitar seems to prefer, and usually sounds rather beautiful in a more reverberant space," Richard explains.
"Left Bank also has a rather spacious feel to the layout, which my guitars will enjoy. They are but small wooden boxes, but there’s more to them than meets the eye".
The collaboration with Django adds a layer of familial symmetry to the tour - while his son carves his own path through Leeds, he has also become an informal scout for his father's debut.
For Richard, having his son help anchor his first Leeds performance is a full-circle moment, mirroring the "serious collaboration" he believes is necessary between artists and the communities they visit.
It also echoes the grassroots, family-driven momentum that has defined his career since its inception.
Just as Django helped navigate the Leeds landscape in 2026, Richard’s own entry into the professional world was facilitated by his mother, who famously secured his 1986 London debut at the Purcell Room by cold-calling the Southbank Centre from the care home where she worked.
This fierce independence and reliance on a close-knit support system were forged early on, as Richard has spoken candidly about how growing up with undiagnosed autism and ADHD became the primary driving force behind his originality.
Rather than viewing these conditions as obstacles, he credits them with providing the intense, singular focus needed to master his craft.
"It is likely that my version of these conditions helped me to focus, isolate & concentrate," Richard explains. "Daily practise on a musical instrument can really help this process and provide respite from a chaotic, noisy world".
Neurodiversity as a “super power.
This determination was present from the start. From the age of five, he focused exclusively on making this career happen, viewing his neurodivergence as a "super power" that allowed him to create change and unexpected momentum in a world that often demands conformity.
This defiance of tradition extends to Richard’s physical presence on stage.
He is famous for standing up to play; a rarity in the classical guitar world where performers typically spend their careers perched on stools with one leg raised.
After thousands of concerts, Richard found his back began to complain, but more importantly, he felt he could no longer communicate properly with his audience while seated.
Realising he already stood to play his acoustic guitar, he simply added strap buttons to his "posh concert guitar" and never looked back.
"I remember my first guitar concerto played standing up - I felt like a swashbuckling, romantic fiddle player," he recalls, feeling this trademark stance allows for a deeper physical connection with his listeners, turning a solo recital into a dynamic, shared experience.
Richard’s independence extends beyond his music to his business model; he has taken a firm stance against Spotify, currently withdrawing his back catalogue one album at a time due to the platform's business practices and its founder's investments in the arms trade. "An independent artist can choose their friends and avoid scumbags," he says plainly.
While he is famous for cycling between concerts to keep his carbon footprint down, the scale of this tour means his bike is staying home this year.
But for Leeds, he’ll be driving an electric vehicle this time around, but ensuring, as ever, that he practices what he is preaching - “I’ll be keeping an eye on my carbon footprint.”
Richard Durrant performs at Left Bank, Cardigan Road, Leeds on May 14 at 7:30pm. Tickets are available through Ticket Source.