Visiting Professor of Oboe, The Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao 

Professor of Oboe, Curtis Institute of Music, USA 

Principal Oboe, The Philadelphia Orchestra (USA) and Chamber Orchestra of Europe 

Visiting Professor of Oboe, Royal Academy of Music (UK) and Royal Northern College of Music (UK) 

Laureate of the ARD Munich, Geneva, Prague Spring, Tokyo Sony and IDRS Gillet-Fox International Competitions; Recipient of the Beethoven Ring

Philippe Tondre was born in Mulhouse, France in 1989. He began his oboe training with Yves Coterel, and furthered his studies under David Walter at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (CNSMDP).

At the age of 18, Tondre was appointed Tenured Principal Oboe of the SWR Symphonieorchester Stuttgart in Germany. In 2010, conductor Seiji Ozawa personally selected him as Principal Oboe of the Mito Chamber Orchestra and the Saito Kinen Orchestra, positions he continues to hold to this day. Since 2019, he has also served as Principal Oboe of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He held the same position with the Budapest Festival Orchestra from 2014 to 2020, and with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig from 2016 to 2017. In 2020, he was appointed Principal Oboe of The Philadelphia Orchestra under Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

As a highly sought-after international soloist, Philippe Tondre performs regularly with leading orchestras and conductors across the globe. Key career milestones include receiving the Beethoven Ring from Beethovenfest Bonn in 2012; his 2013 debut at the Philharmonie Berlin, performing Bohuslav Martinů’s Oboe Concerto as soloist with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; and his first collaboration with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall, New York in 2022.

Philippe Tondre has claimed prizes at the Geneva International Music Competition, Prague Spring International Music Competition, Sony International Oboe Competition Tokyo and the IDRS Gillet-Fox Competition. In 2011, he was awarded second prize — with first prize not awarded — at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich.

Tondre has released three critically acclaimed albums. His debut recording Contrastes, centred on works by Robert Schumann, received the Diapason d’Or and the Choc de Classica awards. His second album Parfums de France was honoured with the Diapason 5 Étoiles. His latest album Eastern Phantoms, featuring Slavic and Hungarian repertoire, was released on 13 March 2026.

Widely recognised as one of the world’s preeminent oboists of the 21st century, Philippe Tondre has appeared as Guest Principal Oboe with world-leading ensembles including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, London Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic. He is celebrated for his expressive artistry and distinctive tonal quality — the BBC described his performance as "breathtaking oboe solo"; the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noted his "astonishing mastery"; and The Philadelphia Inquirer characterised his sound as "liquid gold". His playing combines refined nuance, lyrical depth and vivid musical personality. As the Bonner General-Anzeiger wrote: "A master of the oboe, who renders the most delicate timbres across breathtaking melodic spans… in his hands, the instrument achieves celestial beauty."

Alongside his performing career, Philippe Tondre is deeply dedicated to teaching and nurturing the next generation of musicians. He served as Professor of Oboe at the Hochschule für Musik Saarbrücken from 2015 to 2024, and was appointed Professor of Oboe at the Curtis Institute of Music in the USA in 2022. He also holds international visiting professorships at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and The Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao. He regularly leads masterclasses at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music in the United States. His students have won top honours at major competitions including the Sony International Oboe Competition Tokyo and the Muri International Oboe Competition in Italy.