What is Evelyn Barbirolli?
'''Evelyn Barbirolli''' (born [[Wallingford-on-Thames]], [[Berkshire]], 24 January 1911; died 25 January 2008) was a famous [[oboe|oboist]]. She was an honorary member of the Royal Philharmonic Society. Only 116 people have ever been made honorary members. She was the wife of the [[Conductor (music)|conductor]] Sir [[John Barbirolli]]. She was born '''Evelyn Rothwell''', and was always known by that name until after the death of her husband, John Barbirolli, when she changed her [[profession]]al name to “Evelyn Barbirolli”. She became famous at a time when there were very few women in [[orchestra]]s. ==Life== ===Early years=== Evelyn Rothwell’s father was a [[tea]] dealer in the City of [[London]]. Her mother was related to Charles Reade, a [[19th century]] [[novel]]ist. She started to learn the [[oboe]] at her school, [[Downe House]], near [[Newbury]]. Her father did not want her to study music, but in the end she was allowed to go to the [[Royal College of Music]]. She studied the oboe there, and the [[piano]] as a second instrument. She also played the [[cello]] and [[timpani]]. She was a student there at the same time as [[Benjamin Britten]], who sometimes asked her to play some of the oboe music he had just written. Evelyn started her professional career as an oboist in the Drury Lane orchestra. She soon got a job with the [[Royal Opera House]] touring company whose conductor was John Barbirolli. Barbirolli was married, but his marriage did not last long. Barbirolli was then made conductor of the Scottish Orchestra (now called the [[Royal Scottish National Orchestra]]). He gave Evelyn the job of first oboe in this orchestra. He made an arrangement of a [[concerto]] by [[Handel]] for her to play. She played several other concertos with him conducting, and they made several recordings. [[Vaughan Williams]] was very pleased with their recording of his oboe concerto. Several composers wrote music especially for her. [[Henry Wood]] made her first oboist in the [[New Queen’s Hall Orchestra]