Hugh has worked as Principal Double Bassist with the London Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Australian World Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, and Sydney Camerata. In 2018 he was appointed Sub-Principal Bass of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hugh has been invited to perform in festivals across the world, including the Heidelberger Frühling Festival (Germany), the Orchestra Leonore Festival (Italy) and the Beijing Music Festival. He performed Mahler’s 1st Symphony solo under Gustavo Dudamel at the Castell de Peralada Festival, with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
He is also a keen soloist and chamber musician, having received over 200, 000 views for his online solo work. He has performed recitals throughout Australia, and toured as far as the Berliner Philharmonie playing chamber music.
Hugh has a particular passion for opera, having performed eight fully staged cycles of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. He performs annually at the renowned Glyndebourne Opera Festival.
Hugh also regularly records movie, video game and TV soundtracks, including Resident Evil, World of Warcraft, Happy Feet, and hundreds of other major titles.
Hugh teaches privately online and in-person, as well as giving masterclasses and tutoring orchestras such as the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Australian National Academy of Music, and the University of Melbourne.
Australian and Austrian double bassist Hugh grew up in Sydney, where he began bass lessons at the age of seven with Chris Belshaw. In 2002 he commenced studies with Alex Henery (Principal Bass, Sydney Symphony Orchestra), completing a Bachelor of Music in 2012 at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with several scholarships.
While undertaking Fellowships with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2011, Hugh began playing with most of the Australian orchestras as an extra. In 2014 Hugh became the Associate Principal of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. In 2018 he was appointed Sub-Principal Bass of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hugh plays on a 1790’s Lott Snr. double bass made in the Dodd workshop and an 1840’s Thomas Kennedy, and uses Eugène Sartory and Reid Hudson bows.