During the Qingdao Menuhin International Summer Music Season, Professor Philippe Tondre – Oboe Professor at the Curtis Institute of Music and Principal Oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra – was officially appointed Visiting Professor of Oboe at Qingdao Yehudi Menuhin School.
Professor Tondre is one of the foremost oboists of our time. He currently serves as Principal Oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Oboe Professor at the Curtis Institute of Music, and also holds visiting professorships at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music in the United Kingdom. The BBC has described his playing as "breathtaking oboe soloism," while the Philadelphia Inquirer has likened his tone to "flowing gold." During his teaching sessions, Professor Tondre was deeply impressed by the students' enthusiasm for learning, and expressed great appreciation for the school's internationally‑aligned educational philosophy and curriculum. He also shared insights into the selection criteria of the Curtis Institute of Music.
The Curtis Institute of Music is one of the world's most prestigious conservatoires, renowned for its elite training model and full‑scholarship system, having produced a vast number of principal players and soloists in leading orchestras worldwide.
The Woodwind Department of Qingdao Menuhin School is led by Professor Li Lansong, the school's Bassoon Professor and Head of the Woodwind Department, and brings together a distinguished group of renowned wind players from China and abroad, including Flute Professor Han Guoliang and Oboe Professor Wei Weidong, with programmes covering flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone. From initial acquaintance to mutual recognition, from academic exchange to collaborative partnership, the appointment of Professor Philippe Tondre further strengthens the oboe faculty. Our students can now study with a sitting professor from the Curtis Institute of Music without leaving their own practice rooms, seamlessly accessing the world's highest teaching standards.
