Born in Wales, Bob studied the Bass trombone at the Academy from 1976 with Harold Nash and was the winner of the Sydney Langston Brass Prize
Bob’s first job was with the BBC Scottish Symphony at the age of twenty. He then went on to play with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, The Philharmonia and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Bob has made multiple recordings with these orchestras including soundtracks for blockbuster films such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Braveheart. He has toured extensively throughout Europe, Americas and Asia.
Bob began teaching Bass Trombone at the Academy in 1989 and many of his students hold orchestral positions in the UK.
Bob was president of the British trombone society from 2006 to 2010 and there is a biannual competition named after him - The Bob Hughes Bass Trombone Competition.