He is an oboist and teacher who attended London’s Royal College of Music to undertake his oboe studies. An outstanding student, he was a recipient of the Joy Boughton Memorial Award and an Exhibition. He went on to take further studies in France where he was tutored in Paris.
His time as a student also saw him being given the position of Principal Oboe with the European Union Youth Orchestra.
Back in England his professional career has seen him performing as Principal Oboe with some of England’s major orchestras and ensembles under the leadership of acclaimed conductors such as Christoph Dohnanyi, Neeme Jarvi, Sir Charles Mackerras and Sir Neville Marriner. These include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Molto Musica Ensemble, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 2000s and 2010s he has been the Principal Oboe of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra and Joint Principal Oboe of the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Performing as a guest musician with many International orchestras, often German, he has been heard with Munich’s Bayerischer Rundfunk, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Cape Town Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Hamburg’s NDR Symphonie Orchestra and Orquesta de Cadaques.
No stranger to the recording studio he appears on CDs that include the world premiere recording of Schnittke: Concerto Grosso No. 1 for Flute and Oboe with the Cape Town Philharmonic, as well as Divinities: 12 Dances with God by Ian Anderson, Dear Catastrophe Waitress by Belle & Sebastian, Danza da los Corceles by Luis Cobos. Other Conquest by Placido Domingo, Amazing Grace by Leslie Garrett, Travelogue by Joni Mitchell, Mozart: Concerto by the Orquesta de Cadaques and Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante, A Gift of Mozart: The Most Beautiful Melodies and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Hits of Pink Floyd by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Let It Come Down by Spiritualized, Reality Killed the Radio Star by Robbie Williams, Everlasting Love by Vanessa Williams and the soundtracks of Atlantis and Rendez-Vous a Brick Lane.
In the field of musical education he is a member of the faculty of London’s Royal College of Music where he holds the position of Professor of Oboe.
Here is Ian Anderson playing “In Sight of the Minaret” from his Divinities: 12 Dances with God which Christopher performs on…
Sources:
- http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/orchestra/players/oboes/christopher_cowie/
- http://www.rcm.ac.uk/about/stafflisting/profile/?id=56
- http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/manual/oboe/index.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oboists
- http://www.brittensinfonia.com/concerts/events/view/kings_place
- http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/files/extranet/docs/PR/PCMT_MoltoMusica.pdf
- http://www.francoise-green.com/biography-RG.html
- http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BIS/BISCD1727
- http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1107064/a/Ian+Anderson%3A+Divinities+-+Twelve+Dances+With+God.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_(EP)
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/christopher-cowie-q75362/credits/all
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/christopher-cowie-q75362/credits/all
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/chris-cowie-p396479/credits