Julian West is well known throughout the UK as an oboist and animateur. Over the last 20 years he has combined a career as an oboist with developing creative learning projects for many organisations, including Wigmore Hall, Glyndebourne Opera, and Spitalfields Music to name but a few.

Remaining at the forefront of the development of this field of work, Julian is currently Head of Open Academy, the Royal Academy of Music's creative learning and participation programme, where he lectures on music in community, and carries out research into best practice.