Jonathan Small

Jonathan Small played as principal oboist and soloist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra from 1984 to 2024. He has been senior tutor of oboe at Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, since 1991, and enjoys a seasoned reputation as a highly individual artist, whose eloquent, inspired playing combines individuality with unceasing scholarship.

His aspirations as an oboist stem from the expressive flexibility of the English tradition, as represented by artists such as Roger Lord and Michael Winfield (with whom Jonathan studied at the Royal College of Music, London), blended with the special richness and vitality of the German school as exemplified by the Berlin Philharmonic’s legendary Lothar Koch. Jonathan plays on instruments made by J. Püchner of Nauheim, Germany.

BBC Radio 3’s CD Review selected Jonathan’s performance of the Richard Strauss Oboe Concerto (RLPO / Gerard Schwarz) as the recommended recording following a rigorous selection from over 30 recordings dating from 1947 to the most recent. Jonathan’s world-class EMI performance of the Vaughan Williams Concerto (RLPO / Vernon Handley) retains similar status.

Jonathan has always been active in contemporary music, with Glasgow’s Paragon Ensemble, and Liverpool Philharmonic’s Ensemble 10:10. He has premiered solo oboe works by Rodion Shchedrin, Haim Permont, John Maxwell Geddes, Mark Simpson and Michael Small, as well as Ian Stephens.

Jonathan’s many solo appearances abroad include invitations to the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and Australia.

Jonathan was appointed Guest Professor of Oboe at Beijing Central Conservatory in 2004 and has been teaching regularly in China since 2001 following invitations to Beijing, Chengdu and Kunming. He has tutored many Chinese students over the years both in China and at the RNCM.

Since 2005 Jonathan has developed a parallel career as a conductor. He has conducted concerts with the RLPO, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Finland, Helsingborg Symphony and Musica Vitae Chamber Orchestra in Sweden, and over 100 concerts with his own Wirral Symphony Orchestra.

jonathansmalloboe.com