Gwyn Parry-Jones was born in Wales in 1946, and while still young was a pupil of composers Alun Hoddinott and David Wynne. He graduated at Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music, studying composition, bassoon, piano and voice.

His career has ranged from orchestral bassoonist with the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras to teacher and now Lecturer in Music at Reading University. He is well-known as a conductor of orchestras and choirs, and as an adjudicator at music festivals. As a founder member of “The Five Winds”, he is their regular bassoonist and has contributed various arrangements and compositions to their repertoire.