Gordon Hunt

Biography

Gordon Hunt was born in London and studied with Terence MacDonagh. He performs throughout the world as soloist and conductor, directs masterclasses and plays with renowned chamber ensembles. He also has a distinguished orchestral career as Principal Oboe of the Philharmonia and London Chamber Orchestras and has previously held the same position with the London Philharmonic. He is also Principal Oboe of the World Orchestra for Peace.

Regarded as one of the world's leading oboists, he has appeared as soloist with conductors such as Ashkenazy, Sir Andrew Davis, Giulini, Kondrashin, Muti, Sir John Pritchard, Sir Simon Rattle, Sinopoli and Welser-Möst. For four decades he has performed concertos and recitals on six continents. In 2005 he played the Adagio from Albinoni’s D minor concerto at the Service of Dedication and Prayer to celebrate the marriage of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. In 2008 he was soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, televised live to over 30m homes across the world.

Gordon has recorded a wide range of music for BMG, EMI and Virgin, including all of Mozart’s solo music. His recording of the Richard Strauss Concerto with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy (Decca) has been named the finest available by the Penguin CD Guide. He has made several recordings for BIS, including Elevazione, a very successful disc of popular concertos, which he also directed.

Gordon has been Music Director of the Danish Chamber Players and the Swedish Chamber Winds. He has conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of South Africa, Johannesburg Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Danish Radio Sinfonietta and Southbank Sinfonia in London, and in the Budapest Spring Festival. In 2011 he conducted concerts in Brazil, and on tour with the winds of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Last year he conducted concerts in the Traveling Notes festival in Tbilisi, Georgia. This year he will conduct in New Zealand, Brazil and the US.

Gordon is Professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and is much in demand for advice from students and professionals worldwide. He is a member of the jury for the International Oboe Competition of Japan. In 2010 he was designated a UNESCO Artist for Peace.

Over five years, engagements will take him to Germany, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Georgia, South Africa, the US, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Japan, China, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, as well as around the UK.

He plays an XL oboe made by Howarth of London. In his free time, he is passionate about fly fishing for trout and salmon.