Mark Knights

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Biography

Mark Knights is an experienced music educator and conductor with a diverse background in instrumental performance and school leadership. He began his musical journey studying clarinet, piano, and oboe, performing extensively with county ensembles including the Suffolk Youth Orchestra, and contributing to youth arts initiatives in partnership with Snape Maltings.

He continued his studies in clarinet performance under renowned clarinettist David Campbell at Canterbury Christ Church University, before completing his Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of Cambridge.

Mark began his teaching career in Essex, UK, before joining Dulwich College Suzhou in 2017, where he played a key role in the development of the school’s music programme. In 2020, he was appointed Director of Music at Dulwich College Seoul, leading a thriving department and continuing to champion high-quality music education, ensemble development, and transformative performance experiences for students.

• Was there any specific moment that influenced you to pursue a career in music?

  I suppose my career in music began at school, where I was guided and inspired to play the clarinet. It was my granddad who first encouraged me, and I was always strongly supported in pursuing it. Perhaps people noticed that I had some natural talent, and they kept encouraging me to continue.

  I was fortunate to work with some excellent teachers who constantly pushed me to keep improving, playing, practicing, and aspiring. Over time, my passion for the clarinet grew, and I made it my goal to continue studying music in further education.

• Do you have a favourite piece or a composer?

  I used to love listening to Dvořák, especially his tone poems. When I was part of m youth orchestras and the Suffolk Youth Orchestra, we performed The Water Goblin, which made me appreciate his music even more. I later studied Dvořák’s music at university, focusing on his “American” sound and the influence of moving to the United States later.

  Rachmaninoff is another composer I deeply admire. I’ve always loved the clarinet solos in his Symphony No. 2, and we played excerpts from it in my orchestras as well. I’m also completely obsessed with the 18th variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which is one of my all-time favorites.

• Which particular works or composers do you think you performed the best?

  Performing Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto was really difficult. I worked on it when I was at university under the guidance of my teacher, and it took a great deal of hard work and dedication. I don’t know whether it was my first major achievement or my best performance, but it’s an exceptionally difficult piece to master, and it’s the one I felt the most accomplished with.

  I’d also say I felt a similar sense of fulfillment when I was preparing for interviews and auditions, working on Brahms’s Clarinet Sonata and Schumann’s works.

• Which performance are you most proud of or resonate with?

  I suppose going back to that Copland’s Clarinet Concerto and the university performances. I also really enjoy playing in small chamber groups in Seoul with some of the baritone teachers here at Dulwich. A few years ago, we were performing chamber concerts down in Seochon, South Korea, and I truly enjoyed those performances.

  In the youth orchestras, we travelled across Europe and visited different cities in South Korea, performing in places such as Bach’s church, which was incredibly inspiring. I love playing in those kinds of venues; the acoustics, the sound, and the overall quality were just excellent.

• Which musician do you think you like the most or you're most influenced by?

  I studied under a really prominent clarinetist, David Campbell. He was a real inspiration—his tone and execution were exceptional, and he inspired me greatly.

  Recently, I went to see a former BBC Young Musician of the Year perform at Princeton University. She was playing the saxophone, and her energy, tone, and stage presence were incredible to watch. It was truly fabulous. She absolutely dominated the room, and the performance was just exceptional. That was my most recent source of inspiration.

• What do you do off stage that inspires your musical artistry on stage?

  It might sound a bit cliché, but I am a full-time teaching musician. We have so many exceptional students here, and the level of talent is remarkable. Listening to them, guiding them, and helping them perform in a variety of venues is truly inspiring for me. Enabling those experiences and watching them grow as musicians is incredibly rewarding.

• Do you have any unique practice techniques or routines?

  Again, this might sound very traditional and old-fashioned, but scales and technical exercises, along with diligent practice, are the only ways I can sustain and maintain good technique on the clarinet. Making sure that I go through that routine and process helps me stay technically secure.

  As for the saxophone, it’s more of a hobby instrument for me at the moment. When you start teaching music in secondary and primary schools, you have to be able to do many different things. Having access to a wide range of instruments in a full music department means you naturally pick them up and learn the basics well enough to help others. I’ve even taught some students the trombone, despite never having played it before, and it’s been a great experience.

• What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far and how did you overcome them?

  I’ve already stepped away from being a professional musician and moved into education, taking on new responsibilities in that field. The biggest challenge came when I moved from the UK after my teacher training to a place with so much talent and opportunity for students. When I relocated to Suzhou, I encountered many exceptional young musicians, and learning how to best support and facilitate their progress became my greatest challenge. I would say that matching their level of talent while ensuring they stay inspired to continue has been a key focus for me. Creating meaningful opportunities for them has been a different kind of learning curve, but a very rewarding one.

• What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences, and how are you contributing to it?

  I think the beauty of music and its growth lies in the fact that it keeps expanding. There are many influencers doing an amazing job of sustaining classical music and keeping it relevant, and it will always remain historically important. Everything stems from Bach and Renaissance music; it all originates there, and it will never be lost.

  Using classical music as a framework and a guide for students to access music in general is essential. Sharing that foundation with them will always matter. It’s wonderful to see how many different forms of music have emerged, particularly over the last 120 years in the 20th century. It’s not a question of whether we’ll lose it; I believe music will continue to grow, and that is truly remarkable.

• How do you keep your students motivated to practice especially when they face difficulties?

  You need to provide opportunities, set targets, and offer performances that give students something to aspire to as artists. It’s important to make sure that they see the rewards of working hard and understand the value of consistent practice. Teachers must continually support them in maintaining regular routines and checkpoints. Above all, it comes down to teachers truly caring about what their students are doing, which is more important than anything else.

• Do you have a favorite or dream concert venue to perform in?

  I mean, there are so many major venues, but having lived so far from home, I always want to go back and reconnect with my own community in Suffolk, in the UK. I used to play with youth orchestras, bands, and workshops at the Snape Maltings concert hall, which is an exceptional venue. That place holds so many strong memories for me, and having the opportunity to give a solo performance there would be truly magnificent and incredible.