Sam Willsmore studies Oboe at the Guildhall School under Fraser MacAulay, Gordon Hunt, Jane Marshall and Steven Hudson as well as studying conducting with Tim Redmond and David Corkhill. At the Guildhall School Sam has performed with the Guildhall Symphony in many concerts, most recently as Principal Oboe in Scriabin’s Poeme de l’Extase and Ravel’s Scheherazade. He has also performed in Guildhall School’s Ubu ensemble led by Simon Wills, with a particular highlight being playing Oboe, Cor Anglais and Bass Oboe in the BBC Symphony Orchestra Total Immersion Frank Zappa concert. Sam also won the GSMD 2021-22 Cor Anglais Prize adjudicated by Christine Pendrill.

Sam has been involved in many Masterclasses whilst at Guildhall, playing for classes with Francesco di Rosa (Solo Oboe, Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia), Carolyn Hove (Cor Anglais, Los Angeles Philharmonic), Philippe Tondre (Principal Oboe, Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe), Alex Klein (Principal Oboe, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Calgary Symphony Orchestra), Armand Djikoloum (Principal Oboe, Hannover Staatsoper), James Austin Smith (International Contemporary Ensemble, Co-Principal Oboe, Orpheus Chamber Ensemble), Maxwell Spiers (Cor Anglais, Royal Ballet Sinfonia), Olivier Stankiewicz (Principal Oboe, London Symphony Orchestra).

Sam is looking forward to continuing his studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

In his picture above Sam is holding his beloved oboe, not his cor anglais!