Oboe Course Faculty
The course is led by internationally renowned oboe and cor anglais artist Alison Teale.
Claudio Chaiquin is the resident pianist.
Percussionist Richard Benjafield joins for workshops and concerts.
Alison Teale
Alison Teale is a former student of the Guildhall School of Music, having studied oboe with Nicholas Daniel and Helena Gaunt, and Cor Anglais with Jane Marshall. Graduating with a BMus(Hons) 1st class degree at 22, she immediately took the position of Co-Principal Oboe with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. During her time there she won the highly acclaimed International Isle of Wight Oboe Competition (now the Isle of Man competition) and gave her London solo debut at the Purcell Room. On her return to the UK, she became Principal Cor Anglais with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, moving to the same position a few years later with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. During her time as the Cor Anglais player with the BBC Symphony, she produced her ground-breaking solo album COR, accompanied by Elizabeth Burley. This set out to explore and promote the versatility of this beautiful instrument. The album has received great critical acclaim, leading to various recitals, and a guest appearance BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. In January 2020, Alison proudly changed seats in her own orchestra (BBC Symphony) to become Co-Principal Oboe. Alison’s other passion is education, taking up the role of Oboe Professor with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2010. Her interest in student education led her to complete a PG Cert in Performance Teaching, and she was awarded a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy as a recognition of her teaching excellence. She travels the world in her orchestral position and acts as ambassador for Lorée, giving masterclasses and recitals. Recent visits have been to the 2023 International Double Reed Society conference in Bangkok, opening the 2019 IDRS conference in Malaga, Florida, and to China and Spain. Alison is an adjudicator on the 2024 Gillet-Fox Oboe Competition. Alison is also in demand as guest player for many of the other leading orchestras. She can be heard in numerous orchestral concert recordings, on both cor and oboe, motion picture soundtracks, and makes regular TV appearances within the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Most notably Alison performed Copland’s Quiet City at the BBC Proms in 2020, the first major live concert post-lockdown, to a TV audience of 8 million people. She is also no stranger to BBC Radio 3, taking part in pre-concert debates, and presenting an episode of Inside Music in August 2019.
Claudio Chaiquin
French-Argentine pianist Claudio Chaiquin was born in Buenos Aires, where he studied at the Conservatorio Manuel de Falla with Dora Castro, a former pupil of Walter Gieseking. He was a prizewinner at the Young Soloists Competition of Radio Nacional Argentina. On the advice of Magda Tagliaferro he moved to Europe, continuing his studies in Paris under Dominique Merlet and Marie-Claude Équoy. Success in the Claude Kahn Competition led to an appearance as soloist at the Palais dʼUnesco in 1987. In 1989 he became an assistant to Aquiles delle Vigne, who introduced him to the Arrau technique. In the same year he was awarded the Diplôme Supérieur dʼExécution of the Ecole Normale Alfred Cortot in Paris. In 1991 he won first prize in the Caltanissetta Vincenzo Bellini International Competition, and in 1993 was awarded the coveted diploma of the Rotterdam Conservatorium. He has performed in most of the major cities of the world, and appeared with leading orchestras and distinguished conductors. Well known as a teacher, he is a regular member of juries for national and international piano competitions. Claudio Chaiquin is a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and a laureate of the Cziffra Foundation, Senlis.
Richard Benjafield
Richard is a founder member of Ensemble Bash, the first established percussion quartet in the UK. As well as commissioning and performing over forty new works, many now established as standard repertoire, since 1992 the quartet has toured worldwide, including Ghana and Hong Kong, performed at the BBC Proms, recorded for Sony Classical, and established an influential programme of outreach work. His career spans work with Colin Currie Group, London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and both chamber music and opera. Recent performances have included the Gala Concert at IDRS 2023 in Bangkok with Alison Teale, and Steve Reich’s Drumming at Radio France with the Colin Currie Group. He has also recorded extensively for BBC Radio and TV, and collaborated with musicians including Steve Reich, Harrison Birtwistle, Stewart Copeland, Dobrinka Tabakova, Joanna MacGregor and John Kenny. As a conductor Richard has directed BBC Total Immersion concerts of the music of John Cage, Philip Glass, Missy Mazzoli, and Xenakis. Richard Benjafield studied at the RNCM, University of Ghana and Tanglewood Music Centre. A professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama since 1995, Richard took up the position of Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion in 2009, and in 2013 he was honoured to be made a Fellow of the Guildhall School.
