Christine Pendrill

Cor Anglais professor (second or related study only)

While studying the oboe at the RCM on an Associated Board Scholarship, Christine discovered an affinity with the cor anglais which informed her lifelong career. With the encouragement of her professor, Michael Winfield, she began to freelance with the London orchestras while still a student. In 1980, she became the Principal Cor Anglais player of the Philharmonia Orchestra, a position she held for five years until she was invited to join the London Symphony Orchestra in the same capacity. At that time, she was one of only a handful of women in the LSO, (a situation now happily rectified), and in 1986 became the first woman to be elected by the players to the Board of Directors in its then eighty two year history, fulfilling a three year term.

During her many years as a member of the LSO, Christine played for some of the world's greatest conductors and recorded most of the major orchestral solos. In 1996, she gave the first performance of 'The World's Ransoming' a concertante work written for her and the LSO by James MacMillan. After many further performances, she recorded the work with Sir Colin Davis and the LSO for LSO Live.

After retiring from the LSO in June 2022, Christine has continued to teach at the RCM and now devotes her professional life to introducing oboe students to the joys of playing the cor anglais!

Faculties / departments: Woodwind