Hello!
Brought up in rural Leicestershire, I've come a long way since moving to Birmingham to study at the Conservatoire—a journey that's taken me to Manchester, through Germany and back to the UK, where I now combine performing, composing, and teaching.
Currently, I'm Principal Oboe with Sinfonia Viva and Sub-Principal Oboe and Cor Anglais with Bath Philharmonia. My career has taken me from performing Morricone's "Gabriel's Oboe" to 10,000 people at Derby Live Festival to spending a decade as Second Oboe and Cor Anglais with Anhaltisches Theater, Dessau. Whether I'm performing, composing, or teaching, it all comes back to the same thing: connecting technical mastery with the expressive heart of music-making.
Performing Career
My orchestral work has always been wonderfully varied, spanning principal, section, and cor anglais positions across the UK and Europe. These days I hold positions with Sinfonia Viva and Bath Philharmonia, and work regularly as a freelance oboist with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Birmingham Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Orchestra of the Swan, and Longborough Opera. Earlier in my career, I played regularly with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, and Opera North.
It's funny how chance meetings can completely change your path. I was sitting in the Birmingham Conservatoire canteen with my quartet when the Director of Studies walked in and said, "anyone know a wind quartet? I need a wind quartet." Long story short, we ended up at a chamber music festival in Annecy, France, which led to me becoming solo oboist with Kammerensemble Cologne from 2000-2005. It was gruelling work—performing three solo concertos six days a week in different places every day, from Swiss ski resorts in winter to South of France holiday towns in summer. But it was also the most amazing time, allowing me to play so many major oboe concertos including those by Mozart, Albinoni, Cimarosa, and Vivaldi. I also played works I'd arranged myself, including the Telemann Cor Anglais Concerto, which is now published by June Emerson Wind Music.
This touring work was the stepping stone to a permanent position with the Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau (2005-2013), where I performed opera, operetta, musicals, and symphonic repertoire. There was plenty of scope for chamber music and solo performances too, and my love of contemporary music was kept well fed with concerts with the Ensemble United Berlin.
More recent solo performances include Morricone's "Gabriel's Oboe" at Derby Live Festival 2025 (I think 10,000 is about the largest audience I've ever had for a solo gig!), Copland's "The Quiet City," Heinichen's G minor Oboe Concerto, and Bach's Double Concerto at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall in 2022. With Sinfonia Viva, I've also had great fun creating my own arrangements, including Rossini's "Duetto di Due Gatti" for oboe and clarinet.
Compositional Work
Composing has always run alongside my performing career. My works have been premiered in the UK and across Europe—at venues like the IMPULS festival for new music in Germany, St. Endellion Summer Music Festival, and various chamber music series. In 2024, Sinfonia Viva premiered my commissioned work "Woven" for wind quintet, inspired by the magnificent loom at Derby's Museum of Making. The piece also includes a visual abstract film created by my super-talented son (who also designed this website!).
My catalogue is pretty varied: symphonic works like "War Torn and the Angel" (premiered by Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau in 2012), chamber pieces such as "The Enchanted Forest" for oboe d'amore and chamber ensemble (St. Endellion, 2019), and educational works including "The Witch's Cat Who Lost Her Spells" for wind quintet and narrator. That last one has been performed regularly in schools and theatres, is published by June Emerson Wind Music, and has even made it to performances in the United States—always nice to hear your work is traveling!
I'm open to commissions and collaborative projects. Take a look at my Compositions page to explore what I've written and hear recordings of the pieces.
Training & Recognition
I studied oboe and composition at Birmingham Conservatoire, where I completed my BA (Hons) Music, won the Conservatoire BA Prize, and was awarded the A.B.S.M. (composition with merit) along with an award for orchestral composition. A particular honour was hearing the Conservatoire orchestra perform my "Four Pieces for Orchestra" under the baton of Andrew Mogrelia—that's a moment you don't forget!
A Countess of Munster Musical Trust award enabled me to continue at the Royal Northern College of Music, where I earned the Rawsthorn Prize for composition alongside my Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Performance.
During my years in Germany, I studied intensively with Bernd Holz, then second oboe with the WDR. We had quite the language barrier—I didn't speak much German and he didn't speak English—but somehow we understood each other perfectly. His comment at my first lesson: "Maddy, die sind die schlechste Rohre die ich je gesehen habe" ("these are the worst reeds I've ever seen") was quite the wake-up call, but it marked the beginning of a complete transformation in my reed-making.
Teaching Philosophy & Approach
I specialize in working with advanced students—those preparing for conservatoire auditions, professional orchestral auditions, or navigating those tricky early years as a young professional. That said, I work with students at all levels who are serious about their playing. My teaching philosophy is simple: technique and musical expression should never be separate things. The oboe's technical demands exist to serve the music we're trying to create.
Understanding my own neurodivergence has profoundly shaped how I teach. Being on the Autistic spectrum has meant developing very practical strategies for navigating the overwhelming social demands of orchestral life—auditions, ensemble dynamics, all those unwritten rules of professional music-making. This lived experience makes me particularly intuitive about identifying what each student actually needs. Sometimes it's technical refinement, sometimes it's performance anxiety strategies, and sometimes it's just finding a different way to explain a concept that finally makes it click.
I use mindful practice techniques to help students make the most of their practice time and build genuine performance resilience—not just "fake it till you make it," but real, sustainable confidence.
My approach to reed-making is systematic and reliable. I learned from Bernd Holz (former second oboe with the WDR Cologne), using a method he developed with a Japanese colleague. I've never deviated from it because it simply works. Whether you need a complete overhaul of your reed-making or fine-tuning for specific challenges, I can help.
Have a look at my Teaching page, or visit the Oboist Clinic if you've got specific technical or musical questions that need answering.
Navigating the Profession as an Autistic Musician
Being on the Autistic spectrum in the classical music world has given me some unique insights into the hidden challenges of our profession—the unspoken social hierarchies, the sensory overwhelm of long rehearsals, the anxiety of auditions where playing well isn't always enough. I've had trials with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Welsh National Opera, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and each experience taught me something valuable about navigating this profession authentically.
These experiences deeply inform how I support students who may be neurodivergent themselves, or who simply struggle with the social and psychological demands of pursuing music professionally. Technical excellence is crucial, yes, but it's only part of the picture. Building resilience, self-advocacy skills, and practical strategies for professional situations is equally important—and often gets overlooked in traditional teaching.
I share more about these experiences elsewhere on this website, and I'm always happy to discuss how we might work together if any of this resonates with you.