Bethan Roberts continued…..
Bethan read music at Manchester University, and then went on to specialise as an oboist at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she was tutored by Valerie Taylor, Thomas Davey, Jonathan Small and Mary Gilbert. Since graduating in 2001, she has enjoyed a busy and varied career as a freelance oboist and cor anglais player, performing with many major UK orchestras, such as Opera North, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Manchester Camerata, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Raymond Gubbay’s Manchester Concert Orchestra and the Hallé amongst numerous others. A particular highlight was playing with Royal Northern Sinfonia on their critically acclaimed recording of Beethoven’s 4th Piano concerto, with pianist Lars Vogt.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Bethan has kept active as a performer, with various recordings, including for Clonter Opera, who she has worked with regularly since 2005.
Chamber music has always been a huge part of her musical life and she is a member of several groups, in addition to Manchester Reed Trio. During her time at the RNCM she gained a distinction for the PPRNCM qualification, as a member of The Langdale Ensemble wind quintet. As well as playing for Music in Hospitals and Care with Manchester Reed Trio, Bethan has also works as a soloist, playing for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU-Hear) sessions.
Educating has always been important alongside her playing, and as well as a flourishing teaching practice, she regularly devises and leads a variety of education workshops. Since 2013 Bethan has been tutoring for the bi-termly Young Oboes event at the RNCM. In 2018 she was appointed visiting oboe tutor at Bangor University. Bethan is also a keen composer and arranger, having had a student composition performed by the Lindsay String Quartet. She enjoys improvising on her oboe and cor anglais and has worked on a number of projects with her composer husband Norm Skipp, using live electronics, including helping to create the score for the film 45rpm. In 2015, Bethan completed her Dalcroze Intermediate course a week before giving birth to her first son!
Outside of music, Bethan enjoys running, cooking and going on adventures with her young family.