Douglas Scarfe was a member of the Orchestra of Opera North for twelve years. Whilst at school Douglas was Principal Horn in the National Youth Orchestra and won the Peter Morrison award for his contribution to NYO. He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Hugh Potts winning the Hiles Medal for Orchestral playing. Douglas has performed concertos in the Ryedale Festival and at events organised by the British Horn Society.

Douglas is much in demand as a teacher. For many years he was Assistant Director of Music at Aysgarth School. In addition he has held the position of Horn Tutor at the Universities of Huddersfield, Hull and Leeds and also at Chethams School of Music. As a coach Douglas has coached the National Youth Orchestra as well as Youth Orchestras in Lancashire, Merseyside and Sheffield.

In 2000 a serious playing related jaw condition ended Douglas' performing career. Douglas now combines a new position of Executive Assistant to the General Director at Opera North with his work as and Musical Director of the Lancashire Schools Symphony Orchestra.

In 2002 Douglas was responsible for organising the North of England's celebration of the centenary of the birth of composer Sir William Walton - Walton Comes Home. With seventy events spread over two and a half months from thirty participating organisations, Walton Comes Home was Britain's largest ever collaborative music festival.