Tom Owen, born in Sussex, studied in London and Hannover. He has given oboe masterclasses and recitals across Europe and Asia, including Beijing, Shanghai, Dortmund, London, Köln, Hannover, Stuttgart, Zagreb and Atri (Italy). From 2017–2019, he taught chamber music at the Folkwang University in Essen and regularly coaches orchestral wind sections for ensembles such as the Junge Deutsche and Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestras. In 2024, he served on the jury of the International Double Reed Society’s Norma Hooks Competition.
Tom is Principal Oboist of the Gürzenich Orchester in Cologne and frequently guests with leading European orchestras, including the NDR, WDR, SWR, Berlin Radio, Gewandhaus, Philharmonia, and Bavarian State Opera orchestras. As soloist, he has performed and recorded Strauss and Mozart concertos with the Gürzenich Orchestra under François-Xavier Roth and Markus Stenz, and appeared at London’s Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall.
A dedicated chamber musician, he co-founded and served as Vice-Chairman of KammermusikKöln, supporting concert series in Cologne and Bonn. He has performed with the Linos Ensemble and Calamus Ensemble, and recorded with the Cologne Chamber Soloists for the MDG label. Over 50 of his chamber performances are available on YouTube. In 2015, he was named Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).
