Natalie Neophytou

First prize winner of the Leila Oboe Prize competition, Natalie Neophytou was born in Cyprus and discovered her passion for music at the age of 13 where she began her oboe and piano studies. Natalie was successful in attaining her first professional position as second oboe of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, in 2013 to 2014. She is currently completing her master studies in oboe performance, at the Royal Academy of music, studying with Melanie Ragge and Sue Bohling. Through her time in Academy and previously at the Guildhall school of Music and Drama, where she achieved her Bachelor for Music, Natalie has worked with conductors such as Gianandrea Noseda, Gustavo Dudamel, Michael Tilson Thomas, Vladimir Jurovsky and Takuo Yuosa. Her musical training includes masterclasses with Thomas Intermuler, Jean Louis Capezzali, David Walter, Christine Pendrill, Nicholas Daniel and Fabien Thouand. Natalie is frequently invited to play with orchestras including Orion Orchestra, London Arts Orchestra, Aleph Chamber Orchestra and Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. Her future plans are to continue developing her professional orchestral playing and become a successful oboe teacher, as well as travel around the world, a dream that she wants to achieve.