Duncan Hopkins (born 21 September 1967) is an English-born jazz composer and musician who plays double bass and electric bass.

Early life and education

Hopkins was born in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, West Midlands. His father was a trombone player and his mother a pianist. He started his musical education at

Pattison College Pattison College is a non-selective independent school in the east of Coventry, England. Pattison College provides education for children aged 3 to 16 of all abilities. The school was established as a Christian foundation in 1949 as a school for ...

, where his mother taught music. The family then moved to

St. Catharines St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2021, St. Catharines has an area of and 136,803 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, south of Toronto ac ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada in 1971, where he remained until he finished formal studies at Lakeport Secondary School and

Brock University Brock University is a public university, public research university in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is the only university in Canada in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, at the centre of Canada's Niagara Peninsula on the Niagara Escarpment. The ...

(1987–1989). After acquiring his bachelor's degree in business economics, Hopkins moved to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

to study with bassist Michel Donato, first within the confines of

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

and then later privately. He then attended the

Banff School of Fine Arts Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (formerly Banff Centre) is an arts and culture educational institution in Banff, Alberta. It offers arts programs in the performing and fine arts, as well as leadership training. It was established in 193 ...

to study with

Rufus Reid Rufus Reid (born February 10, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer. Biography Reid was raised in Sacramento, California, where he played the trumpet through junior high and high school. Upon graduation ...

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, Order of Canada, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he w ...

Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing ...

Career

Hopkins returned briefly to St. Catharines in 1992 and won an

Ontario Arts Council The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is a publicly funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians. Based in Toronto, OAC was founded in 1963 by O ...

Award to live and study in New York with

Dave Holland Dave Holland or David Holland may refer to: *Dave Holland (bassist) David Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has ...

. During that year, however, his parents succumbed to cancer and he returned to Canada and moved to Toronto. Over the years Hopkins has performed with

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard (magazi ...

Peter Appleyard Peter Appleyard, (26 August 1928 – 17 July 2013) was a British–Canadian jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and composer. He spent most of his life in the city of Toronto, where for many years he was a popular performer in nightclubs and ho ...

, Warren Vache,

Rob McConnell Robert Murray Gordon McConnell (14 February 1935 – 1 May 2010) was a Canadian jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger.Jeff Sultanof. Experiencing Big Band Jazz: A Listener's Companion'. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; 8 November 2017. . p ...

Robert Farnon Robert Joseph Farnon CM (24 July 191723 April 2005) was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works (often in the light music genre), he was commissioned by film and ...

John Hick John Harwood Hick (20 January 1922 – 9 February 2012) was an English philosopher of religion and theologian, who taught in the United States for the larger part of his career. In philosophical theology, he made contributions in the areas o ...

s, Mark Murphy,

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in th ...

, Sam Rivers,

, Don Thompson,

Moe Koffman Morris "Moe" Koffman, OC (28 December 1928 – 28 March 2001) was a Canadian jazz saxophonist and flautist, as well as composer and arranger. During a career spanning from the 1950s into the 2000s, Koffman was one of Canada's most prolific musici ...

, Norman Amadio, Scott Hamilton, Edward Simon and others. Hopkins also toured Britain and continental Europe with the Bobby Watson All Stars featuring

Bobby Watson Robert Watson, Bob Watson, or Bobby Watson may refer to: Politics * Robert Spence Watson (1837–1911), English solicitor, reformer, politician and writer * Robert James Watson (1846–1931), Canadian parliamentarian * Robert Watson (Canadian po ...

on alto sax,

Bruce Barth Bruce David Barth (born September 7, 1958) is a jazz pianist, composer, and producer. Early life Barth was born in Pasadena, California, on September 7, 1958. He started to play the piano around the age of five. He had private jazz lessons with ...

on piano, and Stephen Keogh on drums.

References

External links

www.duncanhopkins.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, Duncan 1967 births Living people English jazz composers British male jazz composers English male composers British jazz bass guitarists British jazz double-bassists Musicians from Coventry Brock University alumni McGill University alumni