Sarah Roper,Oboist

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   Sarah Roper, Solo Oboe of the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, Spain, since 1996, was born in New Zealand but grew up and was educated in England. She studied the oboe at the Royal Academy of Music, London, with George Caird and Celia Nicklin, whilst reading music at London University simultaneously. At the RAM she was awarded the Robert Rendell prize. The “DAAD” (German government) scholarship enabled her to study at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Karlsruhe, Germany, with Thomas Indermühle, attaining distinction for the postgraduate “Künstlerische Ausbildung 1” diploma. 

   Sarah held the Associate Oboe position in the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Spain, 1995-1996 and was Associate Oboe in the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, New Zealand, 2008-2009. She has performed and recorded as Solo Oboe with Klangforum, Vienna, orchestras and ensembles in Spain (Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, Moonwinds, Orquestra de Cadaqués, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León y Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid), Germany (SWR Orchester) and in the UK (BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra). 

   She is a founding member of Cuarteto Emispherio with whom she released the CD “Quartets for Oboe and Strings” in 2015 (including the world premiere recording of “Horus” by Ferrer Ferran) and the world premiere digital track of “Cuarteto con Oboe” by Jesús Torres in 2019 with Oboe Classics. In 2023 Cuarteto Emispherio world premiered and recorded “Interconexiones: New Quartets for Oboe and Strings”, a project which involves the commissioning, premieres, recording and collaborating performances of five brand new quartets for oboe and strings (https://cuartetoemispherio.com/eng/). Sarah also recorded and released "Fantasy for Oboe” by Malcolm Arnold in 2017 and the premiere recording of “Silentium Amoris” for oboe and piano by Jesús Torres with Ignacio Torner in 2020 with Oboe Classics. 

   As a recitalist and soloist, she has performed in the UK, Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic, Japan, USA, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. In 2013 Sarah gave solo recitals during the first Monteverdi Oboe Festival in Bolzano, Italy. She performed in the ABPD (Brazilian Double Reed Society) International Conferences in João Pessoa (2017) and in Sao Paulo (2018), Brazil. She world premiered “Soledad Habitada” for oboe and piano by Jesús Sancho (IDRS 2012 Ohio) and “Silentium Amoris” for oboe and piano by Jesús Torres (IDRS 2019, Tampa, Florida). In January 2020 Sarah performed the Spanish premiere of “Neon Highway” (concerto for oboe and 12 instruments) by Luke Styles and “Silentium Amoris” for oboe and piano by Jesús Torres with Taller Sonoro, during the “IX Encuentros Sonoros” Festival in Seville. 

   In 2022 Sarah collaborated with the publisher, “Curiad”, who published the first printed edition of “Carillons for Oboe and Orchestra”(1965, revised 1973) by Welsh composer, Grace M. Williams (1906- 1977), a work which Sarah performed in Boulder, USA, in July 2022. In March 2024 Sarah presented and performed the new oboe and piano edition of “Carillons”(also edited by Curiad) to students at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. 

     Sarah has given masterclasses at Spanish conservatories in Pamplona, Seville and Córdoba, Malaga and at the ESMAR, Valencia.  She has also been invited to give masterclasses during international summer courses and at music schools such as the Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall school of Music and Drama London, the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik and Darstellende Kunst, Stuttgart, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Wales, Auckland University, NZ, the Australian Double Reed Society in Adelaide. She performed at the ABPD (Brazilian Double Reed Society) International Conferences in João Pessoa (2017) and in Sao Paulo (2018), Brazil, and gave classes at the "Oficina de Musica”, Curitiba in Brazil (35º, 2018 and 38º, 2021). In 2020, she gave virtual classes at the "Oboé sem Fronteiras” (UFBP, Brazil) and the “Arkansas State Virtual Summer Double Reed Camp” (USA). 

   She collaborates with local youth orchestras such as the Youth Orchestra of South Spain (OJA), the Orquesta Filarmonía de Sevilla. She has collaborated as professor of the Master’s degree in Orchestral Studies at the Academia de Estudios Orquestales at the Barenboim-Said Foundation, Fundación MpMusic in Seville, and forms part of the oboe department at the Escuela Superior de Música de Alto Rendimiento (ESMAR). 

   She has served on jury panels for national and international competitions, such as the 2014 “Young Artist Competition” in New York, the 2017 “Gillet-Fox Competition” in Appleton, USA, the “2022 Online International BTHVN WIEN Competition” and the 2024 “Howarth of London Prize” at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. 

   Sarah, an advocate for the double reed world, is a founding member of the ADCS (Seville Double Reed Society) and was President of AFOES (Spanish Double Reed Society) November 2018 - September 2022. January 2022 - January 2025 she served as President of the International Double Reed Society and at present she is the IDRS Immediate Past President and Conference Coordinator. In 2026 she was honoured to receive the IDRS President’s Award for her work in the double reed community. 

   Sarah is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and plays Howarth of London LXV and XM oboes. 

 

 

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