Christopher Redgate

Christopher Redgate’s musical activities are wide ranging; he is an oboist specialising in solo and chamber music with an emphasis upon contemporary repertoire; he has redesigned the oboe with the oboe maker Howarth of London creating the Howarth-Redgate system oboe and is both a composer and improviser, enjoying composing new pieces on the spot in his concerts (usually with a highly virtuoso flavour). He also enjoys working in collaboration, not only with the many composers who have written for him, but also with dancers, the improvising abstract artist Mark Rowan-Hull and with musicians from other fields.

Chris has performed in most European countries; Scandinavia, Australia, America, Canada, Mexico and China, and worked with many ensembles including Quatuor Diotima, Ensemble Exposé, The Arditti Quartet, Suoraan, Ensemble Modern, Kreutzer Quartet, London Sinfonietta, The Coull Quartet, Lontano, Firebird Ensemble, Apartment House, Trio Krosta, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Many composers have written for him including Brian Ferneyhough, Michael Finnissy, Richard Barrett, Sam Hayden, Roger Redgate, Edwin Roxburgh, Christopher Fox, James Clarke, Paul Archbold, Dorothy Ker, Michael Young, David Gorton, Joe Cutler, Edward Cowie and most recently Douglas Young.

For three years he held an Arts and Humanities Research Council Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music, and is now the honorary Evelyn Barbirolli Research Fellow. He was elected a Fellow (FRAM) in 2015.  He has given many masterclasses for oboists, composition classes and improvisation seminars and is an experienced adjudicator and examiner.

His recordings have received substantial critical acclaim, and can be found on Oboe Classics, Métier and NMC, and he broadcasts regularly for BBC Radio 3.

Chris has contributed articles to professional journals and several chapters in multi-authored books. Chris is currently involved in a recording/composition project with the composer Douglas Young who is writing a CD’s worth of music for all of the oboes (there are 5!) based upon the ‘Jazz’ series of cut-outs by Matisse.