Background
Tanfield was born in Penn, Buckinghamshire, and studied under Igor Ozim, Felix Andrievski, Alberto Lysy, Herman Krebbers and Yehudi Menuhin.
Tanfield was born in Penn, Buckinghamshire, and studied under Igor Ozim, Felix Andrievski, Alberto Lysy, Herman Krebbers and Yehudi Menuhin.
As soloist and chamber musician Tanfield has performed throughout Europe, China, Japan, India, Canada, the Middle East, Africa, United States of America and Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. He was a prize-winner at The Carl Flesh International Competition, International Mozart Competition and International Bach Competition. He has recorded solo and chamber works for television and radio as well as Civil Defense. He has played for Chairman Deng Xiaoping in China and the Sultan of Oman. Tanfield led the Australian String Quartet from 1998 until 2001.
As a soloist Tanfield has appeared with many orchestras.
The Philharmonia, City of London Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Radiotelevisione Italiana National Symphony Orchestra in Rome. As concertmaster he has worked with the British Broadcasting Corporation Philharmonic, Radiotelevisione Italiana National Symphony Orchestra, Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
He has performed with Astor Piazolla, Charlie Watts, Pinchas Zukerman, Yehudi Menuhin, Charles Wuorinen, Arvo Pärt, Graeme Koehne, Gary Carr, Carlo Maria Giulini, Mark Gasser and Itzhak Perlman. He is currently Head of Strings at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.