It was a great moment in August when we gathered in St Edmund Hall, Oxford for this year’s Kammermusik Workshop after a four-year pause due to the pandemic. Our visit to Santa Fe in July/August 2019 seemed an age ago as we caught up with our friends Will and Daren, Janet and William, Keith and
I hugely enjoyed my return to the York Wind Chamber Music Course in August this year. Not quite as blisterlingly hot as in 2022, the venue and campus at York University was a perfect one for a week’s coaching, playing and spending time with so many committed and interesting chamber musicians. Thanks to Richard Ingham,
Looking back over a busy summer of music-making, I have fond memories of my day at the Gloucester Double Reed Day held at Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham on 2 July. Brilliantly organised by Caron de Burgh and her amazing team, the day was packed with events including masterclasses for oboe and bassoon, chamber music and
It was a privilege to join the jury with Sarah Bruce and Christopher Glynn for the 2023 BIMC held at Bromsgrove School between 30 May and 3 June. From a large entry, 24 fine musicians came through to the final rounds in Bromsgrove and twelve excellent semifinalists were chosen: Raymond Brien (clarinet), Ezo Dem Sarici
Happy Birthday to Howarths of London! It was a truly memorable evening at the celebration dinner in the Landmark Hotel, Marylebone on 25 May. With so many friends there, it was great to have a chance to meet everyone involved at both the factory and the shop in Chiltern Street. Oboists from far and wide
It was great to take part in the British Double Reed Society’s Festival at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on 17 May. There was an excellent attendance and I enjoyed looking in on the workshops by Melinda Maxwell, Emmet Byrne, Nikolaj Henriques and Margaret Cookhorn. The RBC concert featuring Emmet Byrne’s and Nikolaj Hendriques’ brilliant rendition of
Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford Friday, 28 April 7.30pm I am looking forward to collaborating with composer and conductor, Gregory Rose, to perform his new Oboe Concerto with the Jupiter Orchestra on 28 April. The concerto is a most exciting work, inspired by bird calls heard on Oxford’s Shotover during lockdown. The 10-minute work contains brilliant acrobatics
It was great to be back with the Radcliffe Orchestra this spring with another highly enjoyable concert in the Tingewick Hall on 11 March. I have long wanted to perform Berlioz’ Rob Roy Overture as the composer’s overture that has passed me by over the years. Despite the Berlioz’ own misgivings about the work, it
It was a real pleasure to be asked to join the Adjudication Panel, with Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey and John Traill, of the Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Competition on 4 February. Adeptly accompanied by the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra conducted by John Traill, three talented finalists performed to a full hall at the Centre for Music. The Competition
I was very happy to be asked by Josette Bushell-Mingo to attend the CUK conference this month and to catch up with some of my friends in the UK’s conservatoires. The conference itself was hosted by Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and featured presentations from Maria Delgado and Low Kee Hong on Ethics