List of oboists

An oboist (formerly hautboist) is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the oboe d'amore, cor anglais or English horn, bass oboe and piccolo oboe or oboe musette.

The following is a list of notable past and present professional oboists, with indications when they were/are known better for other professions in their own time. Oboists with an asterisk (*) have biographies in the online version of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Baroque period 1600–1760

 * Francesco Barsanti (1690–1772), Italian * (composer)
 * Alessandro Besozzi (1702–1773), Italian
 * Antonio Besozzi (1714–1781), Italian
 * Cristoforo Besozzi (1661–1725), Italian
 * Giuseppe Besozzi (1686–1760), Italian
 * Paolo Girolamo Besozzi (1713–1778), Italian
 * Mateo Bissoli (Bisioli) (c. 1711 – 1780), Italian
 * Esprit Philippe Chédeville (1696–1762), French *
 * Nicolas Chédeville (1705–1782), French *
 * Pierre Chédeville (1694–1725), French *
 * André Danican Philidor (c. 1652–1730), French * (music librarian)
 * Anne Danican Philidor (1681–1728), French
 * Jean Danican Philidor (c. 1620 – 1679), French
 * Michel Danican Philidor (1580–1651), French
 * Pierre Danican Philidor (1681–1731), French
 * John Ernest Galliard (c. 1675 – 1747), German *
 * Johann Caspar Gleditsch (1684–1747), German ("Bach's oboist")
 * Peter Glösch (c. 1685 – 1754), German
 * Jean Hotteterre (c. 1610 – 1691), French * (instrument maker) (one of several oboists in the family)
 * Martin Hotteterre (1635–1712), French * (instrument maker)
 * Nicolas Hotteterre (1637–1694), French *
 * Johann Christian Jacobi (1719–1784), German (oboist at Janitsch's "Freitags-Akademien")
 * Jean Christian Kytch (died c. 1738), Dutch ("Handel's oboist")
 * François La Riche (1662 – after 1733), Flemish *
 * Jacques Loeillet (1685–1748), Flemish *
 * Jean-Baptiste Loeillet (1680–1730), Flemish *
 * Jacques Paisible (c. 1656 – 1721), French (oboist in Robert Cambert orchestra which moved to London in 1673)
 * Joan Baptista Pla (c. 1720 – 1773), Spanish *
 * Josep Pla (1728–1762), Spanish *
 * Manuel Pla (c. 1725 – 1766), Spanish *
 * Giovanni Benedetto Platti (1697–1763), Italian *
 * Johann Christian Richter (1689–1744), German
 * Jacob Riehman (c. 1680 – 1729), Dutch *
 * Giuseppe Sammartini (1695–1750), Italian * (son of French oboist Alexis Saint-Martin)
 * Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767), German composer (Oboe was one of over 10 instruments he played)
 * Roberto Valentine (1674 – c. 1740), English * (composer)

Classical period 1730–1820

 * Sante Aguilar (c. 1734 – 1808), Italian
 * Christian Frederik Barth (1787–1861), Danish
 * Christian Samuel Barth (1735–1809), German *
 * Frederik Philip Carl August Barth (1774–1804), Danish *
 * Georg Benda (1722–1795), Czech * (composer)
 * Carlo Besozzi (1738–1791), Italian
 * Francesco Besozzi (1766–1816), Italian
 * Gaetano Besozzi (1725–1794), Italian
 * Girolamo Besozzi (c. 1745 – 1788), Italian
 * Friedrich Braun (1759–1824), German *
 * Franz Joseph Czerwenka (1759–1835), Czech-Austrian ("Beethoven's oboist")
 * Georg Druschetzky (1745–1819), Czech *
 * Giuseppe Ferlendis (1755–1810), Italian *
 * Josef Fiala (1748–1816), Czech * ("Mozart's oboist 1")
 * Johann Christian Fischer (1733–1800), German *
 * Joseph François Garnier (1755–1825), French *
 * Michel Joseph Gebauer (1763–1812), French *
 * Gottlieb Graupner (1767–1836), German-American
 * William Herschel (1738–1822), German (astronomer) (before 1765 primarily oboist, only later an astronomer)
 * François Jadin (1731–1790), French *
 * Carl Khym (1770–after 1819), Czech *
 * Ludwig August Lebrun (1746–1790), German *
 * Ignace Malzat (1757–1804), Austrian (probably wrote the "Haydn" oboe concerto) *
 * Domenico Mancinelli (c. 1723 – 1804), Italian *
 * Carl Ludwig Matthes (1751–?), German
 * John Parke (1745–1829), English *
 * William Thomas Parke (1762–1847), English *
 * Giuseppe Prota (1737–1807), Italian *
 * Friedrich Ramm (1744–1813), German ("Mozart's oboist 2")
 * François Alexandre Antoine Sallantin (1755 – c. 1830), French *
 * Johann Friedrich Schröter (1724–1811), German *
 * Charles J. Suck (c. 1760 – c. 1808), English *
 * Philipp Teimer (Filip Matyas Tajmar) (1767–1817), Bohemian (English horn)
 * Georg Triebensee (1746–1813), Bohemian *
 * Josef Triebensee (1772–1846), Bohemian * (composer)
 * Jan Nepomuk Vent (1745–1801), Bohemian *
 * Thomas Vincent (1720–1783), English *

Romantic period 1815–1910

 * Apollon Barret (1804–1879), French *
 * Christian Frederik Barth (1787–1861), Danish *
 * Richard Baumgärtel (1858–1941), German
 * Félix-Charles Berthélemy (1829–1868), French
 * Carl A.P. Braun (1788–1835), German *
 * Wilhelm Braun (1796–1867), German *
 * Henri Brod (1799–1839), French *
 * Baldassare Centroni (c. 1784 – 1860), Italian ("Rossini's oboist")
 * Charles Colin (1832–1881), French
 * Franz Wilhelm Ferling (1796–1874), German
 * Willi Gerlach (1909–1971), German
 * Georges Gillet (1854–1920), French *
 * Joseph Gungl (1810–1889), Hungarian * (conductor)
 * Johann Peter Heuschkel (1773–1853), German *
 * Ernst Krähmer (1795–1857), German *
 * Olivo Krause (1857–1927), Danish
 * Desiré Alfred Lalande (1866–1904), French *
 * Antoine Joseph Lavigne (1816–1886), French
 * Johann Heinrich Luft (1813–1877), German
 * William Malsch (1855–1924), English *
 * Giovanni Paggi (1806–1887), Italian *
 * Antonio Pasculli (1842–1924), Italian * (the "Paganini of the oboe")
 * Charles Reynolds (1843–1916), English
 * Friedrich Ruthardt (1800–1862), German
 * Adolf Rzepko (1825–1892), Polish *
 * Joseph Sellner (1787–1843), Austrian
 * Pedro Soler (1810–1850), Spanish
 * Friedrich-Eugen Thurner (1785–1827), German
 * Charles Triébert (1810–1867), French *
 * Frédéric Triébert (1813–1878), French * (instrument maker)
 * Raoul Triébert (1845 – c. 1894), French *
 * Stanislas Verroust (1814–1863), French
 * Gustave Vogt (1781–1870), French *
 * Friedrich Westenholz (1778–1840), German *
 * Carlo Yvon (1798–1854), Italian

A–L

 * Albert J. Andraud (1884–1975), French-American
 * Rhadames Angelucci (1915–1991), American
 * Alfred Barthel (1871–1957), French
 * Evelyn Barbirolli (born Evelyn Rothwell), (1911–2008), English *
 * Louis Bas (1863–1944), French
 * Etienne Baudo (1903–2001), French
 * Louis Bleuzet (1871–1941), French
 * Robert Bloom (1908–1994), American *
 * Joy Boughton (1913–1963), English
 * Maurice Bourgue (1939–2023), French
 * Leonard Brain (1915–1975), English *
 * Henri de Busscher (1880–1975), Belgian *
 * Natalie Caine (1909–2008), English
 * Jacques Chambon (1932–1984), French
 * Janet Craxton (1929–1981), English * (Sister of the painter John Craxton)
 * William Criss (1921–1984), American
 * John de Lancie (1921–2002), American *
 * Albert Debondue (1895–1984), French
 * Antonio Estévez (1916–1988), Venezuelan * (composer)
 * Alvin Etler (1913–1973), American * (composer)
 * Svend Christian Felumb (1898–1972), Danish
 * Peter Fischer (1924–2004), German
 * Fritz Flemming (born 1872 or 1873; died 1947), German
 * (1905–1984), Canadian
 * Bert Gassman (1911–2004), American
 * Fernand Gillet (1882–1980), French
 * Ruth Gipps (1921–1999), British (composer)
 * Albert Goltzer (1918–2007), American
 * Harold Gomberg (1916–1985), American *
 * Ralph Gomberg (1921–2006), American *
 * Leon Goossens (1897–1988), English *
 * Peter Graeme (1921–2012), English
 * Percy Grainger (1882–1961), Australian-American
 * František Hanták (1910–1990), Czech *
 * Earnest Harrison (1918–2005), American
 * Hans Kamesch (1901–1975), Austrian
 * Rudolf Kempe (1910–1976), German * (conductor)
 * Bruno Labate (1883–1968), Italian
 * Roland Lamorlette (1894–1960), French
 * Alfred Läubin (1906–1976), American (instrument maker)
 * Marc Lifschey (1926–2000), American
 * Georges Longy (1868–1930), French *

M–Z

 * Terence MacDonagh (1908–1986), British
 * Arno Mariotti (1911–1993), German-born American
 * Josef Marx (1913–1978), German-American *
 * Robert Mayer (1910–1994), American
 * Karl Mayrhofer (1927–1976), Austrian
 * Mitch Miller (1911–2010), American (choir conductor, recording director)
 * Myrtile Morel (1889–1979), French
 * Florian Mueller (oboist) (1904–1983), American
 * Pierre Pierlot (1921–2007), French
 * Giuseppe Prestini (1877–1930), Italian
 * David Reichenberg (1950–1987), American * (also listed under period instrumentalists below)
 * A. Clyde Roller (1914–2005), American
 * Marcel Saillet (1898–1983), Swiss
 * Jürg Schaeftlein (1929–1986), Austrian *
 * Riccardo Scozzi (1878–1955), Italian
 * Edgar Shann (1919–1984), Swiss
 * Harry Shulman (1916–1971), American
 * Jerry Sirucek (1922–1996), American
 * Koen van Slogteren (1922–1995), Dutch
 * Václav Smetáček (1906–1986), Czech * (conductor)
 * Robert Sprenkle (1914–1988), American
 * Warren Stannard (1923–1995), American
 * William Grant Still (1895–1978), American * (composer)
 * Haakon Stotijn (1915–1964), Dutch *
 * Jaap Stotijn (1891–1970), Dutch *
 * František Suchý (1902–1977), Czech *
 * Sidney Sutcliffe (1918–2001), Scottish
 * Seizo Suzuki (oboist) (1922–2008), Japanese
 * Marcel Tabuteau (1887–1966), French/American *
 * Jiří Tancibudek (1921–2004), Czech-Australian
 * Giuseppe Tomassini (1915–1987), Italian
 * Lois Wann (1912–1999), American
 * Alexander Wunderer (1877–1955), Austrian

20th-century players of the English horn

 * Engelbert Brenner (1904–1986), Austrian- born American
 * Harry Freedman (1922–2005), Polish-born Canadian (composer)
 * Hans Hadamowsky (1906–1986), Austrian
 * Peter Henkelman (1882–1949), Dutch
 * Leo van der Lek (1908–1999), Dutch
 * John Minsker (1912–2007), American
 * Louis Speyer (1890–1980), French-born American

A–B

 * Janice Applegate (born 1948), American
 * Max Artved (born 1965), Danish
 * Theodore Baskin (born 1950), American
 * Perry Bauman (1918–2004), American-Canadian
 * William Bennett (1956–2013), American
 * Melvin Berman (1929–2008), American-Canadian
 * León Biriotti (1929–2020), Uruguayan *
 * Neil Black (1932–2016), English
 * Peter Bowman, American
 * Douglas Boyd (born 1960), Scottish
 * Peter Bree (born 1949), Dutch
 * Riccardo Bricchi (born 1959), Italian

C–E

 * German Cáceres (born 1954), Salvadoran * (composer)
 * George Caird (born c. 1950), English
 * Anthony Camden (1938–2006), English
 * Roy Carter (born 1949), English
 * Joseph Celli (born 1944), American *
 * Nicholas Daniel (born 1962), English
 * Clara Dent (born 1973), German (daughter of Simon Dent)
 * Nick Deutsch (born 1972), Australian
 * Paolo Di Cioccio (born 1963), Italian
 * Jonathan Dlouhy, American
 * Diana Doherty (born 1966), Australian
 * Elaine Douvas (born 1952), American
 * Stuart Edward Dunkel, American
 * Niels Eje (born 1954), Danish
 * Majid Entezami (born 1947), Iranian

F–H

 * John Ferrillo, American
 * Sarah Francis (born 1938), English *
 * Thomas Gallant, American
 * Alfred Genovese (1931–2011), American
 * Ariana Ghez (born 1979), American
 * Burkhard Glaetzner (born 1943), German
 * Wynne Godley (1926–2010), English (economist)
 * Henrik Chaim Goldschmidt (born 1959), Danish
 * Ingo Goritzki (born 1939), German
 * Charles Hamann (born 1971), American-Canadian
 * Nicola Hands (born 1987), British-French
 * Christoph Hartmann (oboist) (born 1965), German
 * Jared Hauser (born 1971), American
 * Werner Herbers (1940–2023), Dutch
 * Brynjar Hoff (born 1940), Norwegian
 * Heinz Holliger (born 1939), Swiss *
 * Bernd Holz (born 1955), German
 * Christian Hommel (born 1963), German
 * Gordon Hunt (born 1950), English

I–L

 * Thomas Indermühle (born 1951), Swiss
 * Eugene Izotov (born 1973), Russian-American
 * Florin Ionoaia (born 1956), Romanian
 * Jean-Claude Jaboulay, French
 * Helen Jahren (born 1959), Swedish
 * Kamil Jalilov (1938–2022), Azerbaijani
 * Arthur Jensen (1925–2018), American
 * Giorgi Kalandarishvili (born 1983) Georgian-German. Muenster Symphony, University of Music in Muenster "Musikhochschule Münster"
 * Michael Kamen (1948–2003), American (film score composer)
 * Melvin Kaplan (born 1929), American
 * Jonathan Kelly (born 1969), British
 * Dimitris Kitsos (born 1971), Greek
 * Alex Klein (born 1964), Brazilian
 * Elizabeth Koch (born 1986), American
 * Lothar Koch (1935–2003), German *
 * Kalev Kuljus (born c. 1975), Estonian
 * Yeon-Hee Kwak (born c. 1969), Korean
 * François Leleux (born 1971), French
 * Lajos Lencsés (born 1943), Hungarian
 * Jay Light (born 1940s), American
 * Michael Lisicky (born 1964), American

M–Q

 * John Mack (1927–2006), American
 * Charles Mackerras (1925–2010), Australian (conductor) *


 * Jean-Claude Malgoire (1940–2018), French
 * Joel Marangella (born 1940s), American
 * Eldevina Materula (born 1982), Mozambican
 * Albrecht Mayer (born 1965), German
 * Malcolm Messiter, English
 * Fumiaki Miyamoto (born 1949) 宮本文昭, Japanese
 * Lucas Macías Navarro (born 1978), Spanish
 * Katherine Needleman (born 1978), American
 * Alexei Ogrintchouk (born 1978), Russian
 * Christopher O'Neal (born 1953), British
 * Pauline Oostenrijk (born 1967), Dutch
 * Ivan Podyomov, (born 1986), Russian
 * Ivan Pushetchnikov (1918–2010), Russian

R–S

 * Wayne Rapier (1930–2005), American
 * Elizabeth Raum (born 1945), Canadian *
 * Sally Sarah Johnston Reid (born 1948), American *
 * Juozas Rimas (born 1942), Lithuanian
 * Roger Roe (born 1968), American, assistant principal oboist/English horn player of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
 * Carlo Romano (born 1954), Italian
 * Joseph Robinson (born 1940), American *
 * Pierre Rolland (1931–2011), Canadian
 * Ronald Roseman (1933–2000), American
 * Edwin Roxburgh (born 1937), English *
 * Telena Ruth (born 1957), Australian
 * Graham Salter, English
 * Hansjorg Schellenberger (born 1948), German
 * Bernard Schenkel (born 1941), Swiss
 * Bart Schneemann (born 1954), Dutch
 * Stefan Schilli (born 1970), German
 * Martin Schuring (American)
 * Jonathan Small (born 1956), English
 * Peter Smith, American
 * Toyin Spellman-Diaz, American
 * Jan Spronk (born c. 1940), Dutch
 * Eva Steinaa (born 1993), Danish
 * Ray Still (1920–2014), American
 * Cynthia Steljes (1960–2006), Canadian
 * Daniel Stolper (1935–2020), American
 * Laila Storch (1921–2022), American
 * Linda Strommen (born 1957), American

T–Z

 * Blair Tindall (born 1960), American (author)
 * Jacques Tys, French
 * Alexei Utkin (born 1957), Russian
 * Piet Van Bockstal (born 1963), Belgian
 * Allan Vogel (born 1944), American
 * Han de Vries (born 1941), Dutch *
 * Edo de Waart (born 1941), Dutch * (conductor)
 * David Walter (oboist) (born 1958), French
 * Liang Wang (born 1980) 王亮, Chinese
 * Mark Weiger (1959–2008), American
 * Judith Weir (born 1954), Scottish (composer) *
 * Helmut Winschermann (1920–2021), German (conductor)
 * Richard Woodhams (born 1949), American
 * Renato Zanfini, Italian
 * Omar Zoboli (born 1953), Italian

Contemporary oboists best known for playing English horn (cor anglais) or oboe d'amore

 * Russ deLuna (born 1969), American
 * Jennifer Paull (born 1944), English (oboe d'amore)
 * Christine Pendrill, English
 * Louis Rosenblatt (1928–2009), American
 * Grover Schiltz (1931–2012), American
 * Thomas Stacy (born 1938), American *

Contemporary oboists best known for playing period instruments

 * Katharina Arfken, German
 * Paul Dombrecht (born 1948), Belgian
 * Ku Ebbinge (born 1948), Dutch *
 * Paul Goodwin (born 1956), English *
 * Bruce Haynes (1942–2011), American-Canadian *
 * Takeharu Nobuhara (born 1943), Japanese (conductor)
 * Christopher Palameta (born 1979), Canadian
 * Michel Piguet (1932–2004), Swiss *
 * Marcel Ponseele (born 1957), Belgian
 * Susanne Regel (born 1974), German
 * David Reichenberg (1950–1987), American *
 * Hugo Reyne (born 1961), French
 * Anthony Robson (born 1955), English
 * Marc Schachman, American

As primary instrument

 * Kyle Bruckmann (born 1971), American – free improvisation
 * Lindsay Cooper (1951–2013), English – art rock
 * Jean-Luc Fillon (born 1960s), French – jazz
 * Karl Jenkins (born 1944), Welsh * – jazz
 * Colin Maier (born 1976), Canadian – new classical, celtic
 * Paul McCandless (born 1947), American * – jazz
 * Nancy Rumbel (born 1951), American – new age
 * Sonny Simmons (1933–2021), American – jazz
 * Frank Socolow (1923–1981), American – jazz
 * Kate St John (born 1957), English – art rock, pop
 * Libby Van Cleve (born 1958), American – avant garde
 * Russel Walder (born 1959), American – new age

As secondary instrument

 * Ahmad Alaadeen (1934–2010), American – jazz (saxophonist)
 * Marshall Allen (born 1924), American – jazz (saxophonist)
 * Derek Bell (1935–2002), Irish – folk (harpist)
 * Amanda Brown (born 1965), Australian – indie rock (violinist, guitarist)
 * Garvin Bushell (1902–1991), American – jazz (all reeds)
 * Bob Cooper (1925–1993), American – jazz (saxophone)
 * Julie Fowlis (born 1979), Scottish – Celtic (vocalist)
 * Vinny Golia (born 1946), American – jazz (all woodwinds)
 * Joseph Jarman (1937–2019), American – jazz (clarinetist, saxophonist)
 * Mick Karn (1958–2011), British – rock (multi-instrumentalist)
 * Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1936–1977), American – jazz (multi-instrumentalist)
 * Yusef Lateef (1920–2013), American – jazz (saxophonist, flutist)
 * Giuseppi Logan (1935–2020), American – jazz (multi-instrumentalist)
 * Andy Mackay (born 1946), English – art rock (saxophonist)
 * Charlie Mariano (1923–2009), American – jazz (saxophonist)
 * Makanda Ken McIntyre (1931–2001), American – jazz (saxophonist)
 * Roscoe Mitchell (born 1940), American – jazz (saxophonist)
 * Dewey Redman (1931–2006), American – jazz (saxophonist, suona)
 * Don Redman (1900–1964), American – jazz (clarinetist, saxophonist)
 * Sufjan Stevens (born 1975), American – indie rock (multi-instrumentalist)
 * Kjartan Sveinsson (born 1978), Icelandic – post-rock (keyboardist)

Shehnai players

 * Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan (1939–2016), Indian
 * Bismillah Khan (1916–2006), Indian
 * S. Ballesh (born 1958), Indian