# Most successful oboists of all time



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Norman Lebrecht posted this list on his Slipped Disc
https://slippedisc.com/2019/10/most-successful-oboists-of-all-time/

10 Jim Carr, Canadian Cabinet minister, was formerly principal oboe of the Winnipeg Symphony.

9 Arvo Pärt, Estonian composer, played oboe in the army

8 Marcel Tabueteau, taught US oboists to sound French

7 William Herschel, royal astronomer

6 John de Lancie, got a concerto out of Richard Strauss

5 Mitch Miller, bandmaster and record supremo

4 Jennifer Lawrence, actor, played oboe in her school band

3 Georg Philipp Telemann, baroquepop composer

2 Karl Jenkins, classipop composer

1 George Martin, Beatles producer

Comments?


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Not even a mention of Evelyn Rothwell or Leon Goosens? Dumb list IMO.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Holliger is also a composer and conductor, besides being an oboist.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Technically, most of them are successful people who also play/played oboe. But I think he's trying to be entertaining.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

baloney....you mean successful people who also played oboe....except for Tabuteau and de Lancie, who were great oboists.


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## BobBrines (Jun 14, 2018)

Mitch Miller -- Long, long ago my parents had a copy of Rossini's "Willian Tell Overture" on 10" 78 with Miller playing the English horn solo


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

BobBrines said:


> Mitch Miller -- Long, long ago my parents had a copy of Rossini's "Willian Tell Overture" on 10" 78 with Miller playing the English horn solo


In addition to being a respected classical oboist, he's famous in jazz circles for soloing on Charlie Parker's Just Friends (although it's not a jazz solo).


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

BobBrines said:


> Mitch Miller -- Long, long ago my parents had a copy of Rossini's "Willian Tell Overture" on 10" 78 with Miller playing the English horn solo


Mit h Miller was active ss a NY freelance oboist for some time..made quite a number of recordings....he was a student at Eastman for a bit, early 40s?? contemporary of Robt Sprenkle, longtime oboe professor...Mitch got kicked out/asked to leave, iirc..I played for him when he conducted our orchestra....he was ok as conductor....real character!!


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## Tero (Jun 2, 2012)

George Martin was involved with baroque music. No recordings survive.
https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/george-martin/


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

How about a legitimate list of all the great oboists who stayed oboists as soloists or principal players in the top orchestras, such as the wonderful John de Lancie who played for years under Eugene Ormandy in the Philadelphia Orchestra? What a standout with his warm sound in such a fine woodwind section and the definition of success. The only such names that are worth considering, in my opinion. But probably the most famous and recognizable _name_ is Heinz Holliger, who made a number fine recordings before becoming a conductor. Lebrecht's list is interesting but perhaps misrepresentative because most of the names were not famous at the time as oboists though they might have undoubtedly been fine players.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Larkenfield said:


> How about a legitimate list of all the great oboists who stayed oboists as soloists or principal players in the top orchestras,.....


Yes - Harold Gomberg [NYPO]
Ray Still [CSO]
Marc Lifschey[Cleveland Orch]
Bert Gassman [LAPO]
Richard Woodhams[PhilaOrch]
Robert Bloom [NBCSO, Bach Soloists]
Ralph Gomberg[BSO]
Pierre Pierlot[soloist]
HeinzHolliger[soloist]

many more - the roster of Tabuteau students is long and impressive.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

What about Alex Klein. He was a fantastic oboist. He used to be principle with Chicago but developed problem with his hands and had to resign. I have a few recordings of his on the Cedille label. I think he is currently with Calgary.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

John de Lancie's son is the actor who played Q on_ Star Trek The Next Generation_.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> What about Alex Klein. He was a fantastic oboist. He used to be principle with Chicago but developed problem with his hands and had to resign. I have a few recordings of his on the Cedille label. I think he is currently with Calgary.


Klein is a fine oboist..he had to step down from his CSO position due to focal distonia. he underwent treatment, regained his position. but was not given tenure...


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Holliger (he has had a couple of mentions already) was a great oboist in his younger days. I used to find (and still do) that I couldn't replace any of his recordings that I had with any other oboist. He is still a phenomenal player.


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## perdido34 (Mar 11, 2015)

John Mack's influence on modern American orchestral playing cannot be overestimated. He was a student of Tabuteau as well as of Harold Gomberg. Many of his students have held first-chair positions in the top orchestras, including Frank Rosenwein, currently principal oboe in Cleveland.

Obituary


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

*Bart Schneemann *(Melbourne, 1954) is a Dutch oboist, conductor, teacher and artistic director of the Dutch Wind Ensemble.

In 1977 he graduated from the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Between 1976 and 1996 he was the first oboist with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

He withdrew from the orchestra order to be able to fully devote himself to his solo career and his work with the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble. Schneemann plays a wide repertoire in various formations, ranging from early music (on modern oboe and classical / baroque oboe) to contemporary music.

Many composers have written especially for him, including Tristan Keuris, Wolfgang Rihm, John Zorn, Gia Kantsjeli, Kevin Volans, Georg Crumb, György Kurtág and Jacob ter Veldhuis. He has performed with various orchestras, including Valeri Gergiev, Edo de Waart, Ernest Bour, Lev Markiz, Frans Brüggen, Roy Goodman and Ton Koopman. Schneemann himself conducted, among others, the National Youth Orchestra, New Sinfonietta, the Brabant Orchestra and the Noord Nederlands Orkest.

As a soloist, conductor and together with the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble he is a welcome guest on numerous stages and festivals worldwide.


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## Harmonie (Mar 24, 2007)

Incredibly surprised to not see Leon Goossens. IIRC from what I read he was a huge deal who really helped revive interest for solo works by major composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams. I wish I had my "The Oboe" history book on hand so I could say more, but it's been two years since I read it...


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## fluteman (Dec 7, 2015)

DavidA said:


> Norman Lebrecht posted this list on his Slipped Disc
> https://slippedisc.com/2019/10/most-successful-oboists-of-all-time/
> 
> 10 Jim Carr, Canadian Cabinet minister, was formerly principal oboe of the Winnipeg Symphony.
> ...


Blair Tindall should be on the list for her best-selling tell-all semi-biographical novel, Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs and Classical Music, turned into a successful TV series on Amazon Prime TV. Perhaps Mr. Lebrecht passed her over out of professional jealousy?


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