StephenWoodMusic.co.uk

Stephen Wood was born in South Yorkshire and began to play cornet and piano in the local Salvation Army Band, eventually moving to Wakefield Schools Band and Wakefield Metropolitan Band on soprano cornet. 

An interest in composing and arranging developed whilst studying for A levels with works being written for and broadcast by the Grimethorpe Band, Black Dyke Band and the James Shepherd Versatile Brass. On graduating from the City of Leeds College of Music (where Stephen was awarded the Robert Tebb Scholarship and the College Brass Prize) he worked as a freelance trumpet player on several shows, light orchestral concerts and operas.

Stephen was one of the first students to undertake the Brass Band conducting Postgraduate at the Royal Northern College of Music with Howard Snell and Dr. Nicholas Childs, and from 1994 to 2023 worked for the Wakefield Music Service as an Instrumental Teacher, Head of Brass and Head of Manygates Music Centre.  

Throughout this period Stephen has continued to compose and arrange pieces for many of the brass bands in the local area as well as pieces for the International Staff Band of the Salvation Army, and numerous educational works for Brass Band, Wind Band and Orchestra.

Stephen currently works as a freelance composer, arranger and conductor working with the West Yorkshire Police Band. His compositions and arrangements are published by Obrasso Verlag, the Salvation Army and stephenwoodmusic.co.uk (via Sheet Music Direct and Sheet Music Plus).