Ewan Millar, oboe

Ewan is one of the most prominent young oboe soloists in the UK. In 2020 Ewan won the woodwind final of BBC Young Musician, advancing to the Grand Final, and giving an “exemplary, richly shaded account” (The Guardian), of Navarro’s “Legacy” concerto with the BBC Philharmonic. Since the competition he has been performing as a soloist in recitals around the UK, including at the Windsor, Cheltenham, and Lake District Summer Music Festivals. In 2025 he won the coveted Gold Medal at the Royal Over-Seas League competition at Wigmore Hall. He is supported by both the Tillett Debut Scheme and Countess of Munster Recital Scheme, helping him secure further recital opportunities around the UK over the coming years. In 2023 he was selected as a Hattori Foundation Senior Award winner. Ewan's long-time collaborative pianist is the exciting young soloist Tomos Boyles.

As a freelancer, he has performed as principal oboe with the RPO, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Aurora Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and principal cor anglais with the LPO and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2024 Ewan joined the award-winning wind quintet Lumas Winds, with whom he performs around the country.

Ewan did his undergraduate at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford, and his postgraduate at RAM, where he was awarded the Bicentennial Prize and Janet Craxton Memorial Prize, as well as winning the departmental Oboe Prize. He studied primarily with Melanie Ragge, while also receiving lessons from Christopher Cowie, and Patrick Flanaghan for cor anglais.

Beyond oboe he is also a jazz pianist, gigging regularly in bars and restaurants around Oxford and London. Ewan is a Howarth Artist, and plays on a Howarth XM oboe, which he was kindly aided in buying by the Gerald Finzi Trust.