Eleanor Alford, Oboist

About Eleanor

Eleanor Alford is a British-American oboist based in Glasgow, UK.  

She currently studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, studying under Peter Dykes, the Associate Principal Oboist of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She has performed in masterclasses at the conservatoire taught by leading professional oboists including Armand Djikoloum, James Turnbull, and Hélène Devilleneuve.

Eleanor has also been part of the various ensembles including the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, where she performed at the Edinburgh Festival, and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, one of the oldest and most advanced youth orchestras in the U.S. This year she will also play in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and perform in Usher Hall, Edinburgh; City Halls, Glasgow; and Perth Concert Hall. She has won various music competitions such as The Blackwood Music Scholarship Competition and the ColOrchestra Western New York Chamber Orchestra Competition.

Recently she was invited by Buffet Crampon, one of the foremost woodwind manufacturers in the world, to perform in their 200-year anniversary concert at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées which featured world-class musicians including as Hélène Devilleneuve, Martin Frost, and Anat Cohen. 

Eleanor produces and hosts a podcast called “The Confident Musicianing Podcast” where she shares strategies and techniques for improving practice and auditions. She also creates related content for her Instagram (@eleanor.oboe) audience of over 90,000 musicians and music students, where she shares her experience of studying at a world-class conservatoire and offer guidance to younger musicians.