Oboist:

I didn’t start as an oboist- I was focussed on violin… 

Like many people, I began the oboe at high school (Northampton) age 12 as a second instrument. 

My intensive early age music training on violin- started by request on my fourth birthday! I was lucky to have a series of extremely good violin teachers and plenty of chamber and orchestral playing. We lived in several locations, including abroad and for three years I had violin lessons in German. Immediately, my brain linked the experience of music (harmony and intonation). My involuntary colours corresponding to each key were really very strong (sometimes I couldn’t see at all when I was playing.! Violinists (more so than oboists) have to practice very long hours, eg. 6 hours a day, but I didn’t mind, I loved the minute challenges of trying to get something very difficult, better. As a teenager I travelled for lessons in various cities and also learnt in German for 3 years when we lived abroad (playing as a tiny kid in the local youth orchestra.) In high school, to fit in 6 hours I took maths and english exams two years early, gave up those subjects, practiced instead and also lunchtime, plus before and after school. But I also played the recorder, with which I found a natural affinity. In fact I used it for relaxation, as the violin was my ‘serious’ instrument. The recorder’s important breath/finger connection of was to come in very useful later…

At sixteen, on the aqdvice of my teacher, Royal Academy of Music’s Head of Strings Rosemary Rappaport, I moved to board at the Purcell School in Harrow (specialist music school, Patron King Charles III) hoping to be a violinist. I was heavily invested in violin, learning with the school’s founder, previously having been the youngest pupil at Kent Junior Music School with Hungarian educator Bela de Csillery, himself a pupil of both Hindemith and Kodaly. But Purcell gave me their Scholarship specifically to study oboe with Nicholas Daniel- such a marvellous teacher and player- and I did enjoy that but it was a bit sudden to change instruments. The change in repertoire and the lack of physical movement needed, reduced my synesthesia so I did feel a bit sad (but only for about forty years…)

On oboe, I won British Music for Youth Oboe Prize, was Principal Oboe for British Youth Wind Band, enjoyed a music degree at University of York, European Community Youth Orchestra (under Ashkenazy) and Pacific Music Festival with Bernstein. I played in two wild contemporary groups Janes Minstrels and Icebreaker and learnt baroque oboe at Royal Academy of Music, before deciding to focus on cor anglais with LSO’s cor specialist Christine Pendrill.

At this time I was studying as an Exhibitioner at London’s Royal Academy of Music under Head of Woodwind  George Caird. I am grateful for the support from grants and sponsorships such as East Midlands Arts Young Artists Scheme and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. I enjoyed touring with the London Chamber Players, with whom I toured Europe and the Far East as soloist / principal oboe. We played in Malaysia during the building of the Twin Towers, and found out later that our concerts were actually raising funds for the formation of a major new ensemble: the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

 I was then offered Bournemouth Symphony’s Principal cor anglais position, in beautiful Dorset, and enjoyed BSO touring to Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Symphony Hall Boston, Lincoln Centre New York … plus the entire South East corner of UK , by coach. At that time Bournemouth Symphony did lots of recording too, for example the complete orchestral works of Walton, Vaughan Williams and Delius, and an award-winning album of Britten. After six years I won the parallel cor anglais position at BBC National Orchestra of Wales – also the orchestra for Doctor Who- where we had children, then after a few enjoyable Welsh years, moved back to London to BBC Symphony Orchestra (orchestra of Last Night of The Proms) playing cor anglais also touring with London Symphony and at Abbey Road studios. I became one of London’s small pool of cor anglais (and bass oboe) players, and it was lovely to have that solo and soulful niche in such brilliant orchestras. My husband worked for Howarth of London as an oboe maker, and also was Music Director of Icebreaker, touring around the world playing, recording and conducting arresting new commissions of ground breaking contemporary music.

Recording high quality films and sessions is also a ‘bucket list’ quality item, but such a lot of patience is required: it’s all waiting around and then solos. (I could write a book on that subject!!) 

The BBC Symphony is the BBC’s flagship orchestra, hosting The Proms at The Royal Albert Hall, and resident with the London Symphony Orchestra, at The Barbican London. Our Artist in Association (with whom I worked closely in education as well as performances) at the time was composer John Adams, who conducted many of his own works. The soloists and guest conductors are continuously world class, as are the players.  The orchestra also tours and records constantly. I was proud to be elected Chairman of BBC Symphony for a while including a South American tour, and the Queen’s Eightieth birthday Prom. Lots of pressure but also lots of camaraderie and inspiration: incredible memories.

For family reasons, I moved to Australia in 2007, and after four years in Sydney as President of the Australasian Double Reed Society (which provides professional development and events for amateur and junior double reed players, as part of an international network of similar societies globally), I joined Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as Principal Oboe. I continued in both roles until 2013 when I finished my Presidency of ADRS by hosting the national ADRS Conference 2013 at The University of Adelaide, where I was also Oboe lecturer. With Tasmanian and Western Australian Symphony Orchestras, the ASO commissioned an Oboe Concerto from Master of The Queens Music Judith Weir CBE dedicated to me in 2018. It is now available internationally through Artaria. I finished my tenure as Principal Oboe in 2018

I have had the opportunity to play as Guest Principal Oboe/Cor Anglais with the following Orchestras: Australian Opera, Western Australian Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, Tasmanian Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales. I gave the Southern Hemisphere Premiere of Messiaen’s last work Concert a Quatre as soloist with the Christchurch Symphony in Christchurch Town Hall, the World Premiere of Judith Weir’s Oboe Concerto with commissioners Adelaide Symphony in 2018 and the UK Premiere of the same work with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in 2019. In 2021 I gave the Australian Premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Oboe Concerto with the ASO and World Premiere of Connor Fogarty Oboe Concerto with the Adelaide Wind Orchestra in 2022. In 2023 I was Soloist alongside three Principals from the orchestra Thai Philharmonic, in Bangkok for Absence of Time by Narang Prangchoen (conducted by legendary oboist Gordon Hunt). In 2024 I will perform The Rest is Silence, Cor Anglais Concerto by Anne Cawrse, with the Adelaide Symphony. 

Since leaving ASO in 2018, I’ve founded a record label, Artaria, with global distribution, (named after Beethoven and Mozart’s first publishers and creators of the principle of copyright and intellectual property) with a growing catalogue of chamber recordings. Supported by its active group of loyal donors and customers, Artaria is inspired by my synesthesia and its YouTube channel is an important creative outlet.

I’ve also a chamber group, Tarrawatta Trio, with my inspirational colleagues Michael Ierace and Thomas Marlin, after I graduated from Business SA Entrepreneur course. With a mission to amplify classical music in society, Tarrawatta consists of three passionate performers and educators all proudly based in South Australia.  As a former violinist (!) I keenly recognise the challenge for oboists in chamber music, and so Tarrawatta also provides a wonderfully fresh combination of textures and challenges for composers and younger performers.

Our Trio is different: really fun, engaging and unexpected repertoire and a connection to heritage. We started a new Series of Exclusive Musical Soirees in North Adelaide’s stunning Late Baroque Concert Hall and for The National Trust of South Australia; private house concerts at founding homestead of South Australia, Collingrove, from where our name Tarrawatta derives from traditional language. Exclusive Musical Soirees are our high end product offering a fully immersive experience with food and wine in special venues: a real party atmosphere and an intimate chance to witness performers up close and to share in their interactions. At the same time, due to its engaging combination of instruments and unwavering commitment to music education, Tarrawatta is ideally suited to coaching, workshops and commissions for new works. 

I also love improvised oboe in Colours of Home, for Musica Viva in Schools with electric guitarist and composer Caspar Hawksley; this is about uncovering synesthesia which is a neurodiverse condition which brings incredible emotions and visions and helps the concept to be normalised in schools. 

All three of these activities bring my synesthesia back including now baroque oboe at 415 pitch with its very different methods of sound production and very precise tuning. There are many ways to interact and be challenged by oboe! After seven years as President of ADRS, now I make it my mission to attend International Double Reed Society conferences where every iteration of oboe is available… 

Oboe is an amazing family of likeminded, slightly crazy souls, all searching for the best reed or fingering pattern. It’s camaraderie, madness and sublime. The sound is like singing, and the air control similar. It’s a lot of fun to be in a wind section- everyone’s doing a different job, singing a different song, like a huge jigsaw puzzle, unlike in strings where you mostly all do the same thing (and there’s a joy in being part of the bigger sound of course). Changing to wind involves a lot more counting, being responsible and working out your own problems, learning to project your sound and be criticised in detail in public. Plus it’s a soloistic role: there is nowhere to hide!

I am now passionate about coaching oboe and trying to find new ways to train young oboists in the real skills needed in the profession, and in life (oboists are always in demand in every society level). It’s not such a stressful instrument as people think, if it all works, and ideally it should be as natural as singing. Luckily, I married one of the world’s top oboe repairers and so I know that using well designed and well adjusted equipment allows you to sing your song without any problems. Behind the scenes, oboe is really fun: all screwdrivers and knives and new inventions at trade shows. It’s very physical and mechanical, suits practical people who are not afraid to handle sharp blades and bend cane!! Scraping a reed links you with wind players from history sharing the same whittling techniques in last minute adjustments. We find the perfect one once in a lifetime!