David Cowley - Principal Oboe of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

DAVID COWLEY - OBOE

As principal oboe of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, David Cowley is firmly established as one of the leading oboists in Great Britain and is well known to BBC television, radio and internet audiences around the world.

He combines a busy schedule with the BBC N.O.W. with concerto performances, recitals in partnership with pianist Bryan Evans and appearances as guest principal with other top British orchestras such as the LSO, LPO, Philharmonia and CBSO. In addition to his playing commitments David is professor of oboe at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

David was a prize-winning student at the Royal College of Music, studying with Sarah Francis, Terence MacDonagh and Michael Winfield. On completing his studies he was immediately appointed principal oboe of Opera North and in the same year made his London debut with Bryan Evans at the Purcell Room in a recital acclaimed by press and public alike. Since then the duo have appeared at venues all over the country including the Wigmore Hall and have broadcast many times on Radio Three. They have released recordings on the Dryad Discs label of French music for oboe and piano (DJC001) (2003) and English and Welsh Music for Oboe and Piano (DJC002) (2010). (See reviews).

Also in 1978 David made his concerto debut at St John's Smith Square, again to good reviews, and subsequent appearances include the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the London Mozart Players, and his many broadcast performances with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales include the Strauss, Mozart, Vaughan Williams and Elliot Carter concertos as well as the world premiere of Guto Pryderi Puw’s Concerto for Oboe.

His recordings on the Nimbus label with the BBC NOW of the Oboe Concerto by William Mathias (1992/Llewellyn) and Alun Hoddinott's Doubles for oboe and harpsichord (1993/Otaka) were warmly received by critics.

Recent appearances include performances with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for Radio Three of the Strauss Oboe Concerto with Richard Hickox in 2001, Mozart Oboe Concerto in C K314 with Grant Llewellyn in 2005 and performances of the Francaix L'Horloge de Flore with Thierry Fisher in 2002 and Douglas Boyd in 2005.

Recent performances of twentieth century works, including the Elliott Carter Oboe Concerto in 2004 with Grant Llewellyn and the world premeire of Guto Puw's Oboe Concerto with Gary Walker in 2006, have also been received with critical acclaim (see reviews).

Future plans include performances of concertos by Vaughan Williams and Stephen Frost as well as the release of a CD of British Music with Bryan Evans. See 2006 Diary for information.

Bryan Evans, piano BRYAN EVANS MBE - PIANO

Bryan Evans studied at the Royal College of Music and has performed extensively as soloist and accompanist throughout the UK and Europe. He has performed at the Purcell Room, the Wigmore Hall and St John’s Smith Square and has appeared on BBC Radios 3 and 4, Channel 4 Television and the BBC World Service.

A leading exponent of chamber opera, he is the Music Director and cofounder of Diva Opera and has given over 2,500 performances of opera accompanied by piano world wide. He has conducted performances of Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, L'elisir d’amore, and Le Nozze di Figaro (including five performances in the Opera House at the Palace of Versailles), was the associate conductor on the European Tour of Opera for Europe's productions of Mozart’s Lucio Silla and Britten's The Rape of Lucretia and in 2003 and 2004 conducted Il Matrimonio Segreto at Les Azuriales Opera Festival in Cap-Ferrat where he is also Music Director.

Bryan Evans was awarded an MBE for his services to music and opera in the 1993 New Years' Honours list.