Robyn Saunders

Robyn Saunders is a Manchester-based performer, composer, musical director, and internationally active clarinet soloist. She began her theatre career as a woodwind doubler in productions including Julius Caesar at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Sweet Charity at the Shaw Theatre. She later worked as an accompanist in New York with the Broadway casts of Wicked, Big Fish, and The Lion King. Her more recent musical-directing credits include Dick Whittington at the Gaiety Theatre and Secret Sides of Us at Nottingham Playhouse. Robyn studied clarinet at Leeds Conservatoire and the Royal Northern College of Music and now teaches in the RNCM's Young Artist and Pathfinder Programmes. A specialist in contemporary clarinet, she is known for theatrical performances that incorporate costume changes, props, and collaborations with dancers. She has premiered new work at venues including Wigmore Hall, first direct arena in Leeds, and One World Observatory. She was a featured artist for the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain's 2025 annual play day, and her contemporary bass-clarinet improvisations have been featured by BBC Introducing. She is also an active freelancer across northern England and performs with groups including Manchester Camerata, Opera North, and PRiSM. By combining her theatre and clarinet work, Robyn created the original show High Heels & Bass Squeals and her drag-king alter ego, Robin Reeds. The contemporary cabaret blends classical music, musical theatre, and drag artistry. After a sold-out off-West End performance, the show toured in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Robyn Saunders performs on a Royal Global Polaris Low C Bass clarinet with a Firebird bell, Polaris neck, and Licostini mouthpiece. She loves its tone across every register: the Firebird bell emphasizes rich low notes, a sweet melodic middle register, and a secure, “brassy” altissimo. She also values the flexibility needed for the extended techniques of contemporary music. Robyn chose the Polaris because it balances a secure classical sound with the extreme playing required by contemporary repertoire; in her view, no other professional bass clarinet matches its combination of quality and price. Before acquiring the Polaris, she thought of herself mainly as a soprano clarinetist who played “a bit” of bass. She now considers bass clarinet her primary instrument, her favorite instrument to play, and her favorite instrument to compose for. Audiences at her cabaret performances are especially drawn to it, and the capabilities of the Polaris inspired the beginnings of High Heels & Bass Squeals, shaping that part of her career.