Oboist

Hilary Stavros Ives

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About Hilary

Oboe | Cor Anglais | Freelancer based near Cardiff, UK
Oboist
Cardiff
Public liability insurance of £10 million
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A versatile musician, Hilary Stavros Ives is equally at home in an orchestral hall, an opera or musical pit, and performing on stage. Originally from Utah, she received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Iowa in 2011 and finished a Master of Music in Orchestral Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, UK in 2017. Before moving to the UK, she worked extensively with the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah as a musician, collaborative artist, and on-stage performer. Shows included: Les Miserables (2012) and South Pacific (2015), as well as incidental music for Twelfth Night and Sherlock Holmes (2014). Her talents were most on display during the summer season's The Greenshow, a free nightly pre-show with live music, dancing, and storytelling. As part of the Royal Welsh College's Orchestral Performance course, she regularly participated in side-by-side schemes with the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. During her time with the College, she performed with RWCMD Symphony Orchestra at St David's Hall in Cardiff, including Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in November 2015, as principal oboe in Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade in June 2016, Dvořák's Eighth Symphony in November 2016 and Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 in June 2017. She also worked on the College's March 2016 production of Mozart's famous Marriage of Figaro, leading the woodwind section as principal oboe. During the summer of 2016, she and many other students collaborated with the Welsh National Youth Opera to perform in Sir Andrew Maxwell Davies' Kommillitonnen! (Young Blood!) in Barry. In a joint effort with the College, Mid-Wales Opera, and the Academy of Ancient Music, she and several other students collaborated for a tour of Handel's Semele throughout Wales in the spring of 2017. She also performed regularly with the Royal Welsh College's Chamber Orchestra on both oboe and cor anglais. Her quintet, Melys Winds, also had the privilege of performing Peter Reynolds' Silver Apples of the Moon at his memorial concert in March 2017. They also performed at an recital celebrating Welsh chamber music at the College in June 2017, a 2017 University of South Wales graduation ceremony, and a January 2018 concert for the Lampeter (Wales) Music Club. Hilary currently freelances and teaches in South Wales, and has played with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, as well as several amateur groups throughout the region, including St Woolos Symphony, Gwent Chamber Orchestra, Bro Cor Ogwr, City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra, and Newport Orchestra.

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7th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 7 years
Musicianship
Genres:
Classical, Christmas, Traditional church music, Baroque, Contemporary classical, Early music, Film / TV music, Musical theatre, Opera, Traditional English folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Originals, Acoustic, Covers, Indie, Folk, Bluegrass, Country, Americana, Medieval music, Renaissance, Traditional Irish folk, Light music
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Instruments:
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Event types:
Concert, Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Recording session, Theatre / Show, Burns night, Christmas party
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Other skills:
Transcription, Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching, Singing teaching, Community music worker
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Hilary's Song list

Most Popular
Gabriel’s Oboe by Ennio Morricone
"The Swan" from The Carnival of the Animals (arranged for cor anglais and piano) by Camille Saint-Saëns
Spiegel im Spiegel (arranged for oboe and piano) by Arvo Pärt
Christmas songs
Hymns
I am well-versed in the following repertoire:
Orchestral
Operatic
Musicals (doubling oboe and cor anglais)
Wind Quintets
Any other small wind ensemble
Please inquire directly for further information.
Below is a brief overview of my solo repertoire on both oboe and cor anglais:
Oboe and Piano
Temporal Variations by Benjamin Britten
Intermède Champêtre by Philippe Gaubert
Sonata Nos. 1-3 by Georg Friedrich Handel
Sonata for Cor Anglais and Piano by Paul Hindemith
Sonata for Oboe and Piano by Francis Poulenc
Drei Romanzen by Robert Schumann
Sonata for Cor Anglais and Piano by Carlo Yvon
Arranged for Oboe and Piano
Quiet City (for cor anglais and trumpet) by Aaron Copland
Escales by Jacques Ibert
Quartet for Oboe and Strings by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Omaggio a Bellini (for cor anglais and harp) by Antonino Pasculli
Concerto in D minor by Antonio Vivaldi
Concertino for Cor Anglais by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
Idillio-Concertino for Oboe by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
Solo Oboe or Cor Anglais
Six Metamorphoses After Ovid by Benjamin Britten
Earthwork by Gareth Churchill
Oboe and Strings
Phantasy for Oboe Quartet by Benjamin Britten
Quartet for Oboe and Strings by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Oboe and Piano Trios
Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Piano by Madeleine Dring
Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano by Francis Poulenc
Customer questions

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

I pride myself on being as flexible as possible to help ensure your event runs smoothly. As long as we maintain open communication throughout the planning process, I'll be happy to adapt.

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

As a live musician, I haven't been asked this very often, but I'd be more than willing to provide a playlist to be played before or after the performance.

How much time do you need to set up?

I try to be about an hour early to every performance and rehearsal, giving me enough time to warm up in the space and communicate with the organisers of the event.

Can I pick the pieces you play from the set list?

Absolutely. This is your event, so please feel free to communicate about your musical needs.

Do you bring all the equipment you need to perform?

Yes, I provide my instrument, music and stand, and will perform acoustically.

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

I've gotten specific song requests before, which is usually no problem. I often already am familiar with the pieces, but if I am not, there is a £20 fee for this service to account for additional rehearsals and purchasing new sheet music.

What do your clients love most about your performances?

Not only am I dedicated to overall professionalism (punctuality, preparedness, communication, etc.), above all, I strive to make music that touches people. No matter your event, I promise to enhance it with beautiful music.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

So many! Theatres, outdoor stages, churches, concert halls, non-traditional performance art spaces, homes, and foyers, to name just a few. I'm highly adaptable, and can make almost any venue work.

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

As a classical musician, I'd say I've been most influenced by my teachers both here in the UK and in my home country in the US. But I continue to be inspired by great ensembles throughout the world, such as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Emerson Quartet, and Carion Quintet.

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

In December 2017, I was extremely chuffed to play second oboe with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for their Christmas concerts in Swansea and Cardiff.

Hilary's Prices

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Short performance (up to 15 min)£50
Up to 1 hour£160
Up to 2 hours£200
Up to 3 hours£275
Hilary
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4.8 out of 5
4 verified reviews

Hilary's Reviews

From customers:

RG
Rosemary G
5 years ago, for a Funeral / Memorial service in Dursley GL11
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5 out of 5

Thank you so much for playing at my husband Brian's thanksgiving for life service. Your playing of Gabriel's Oboe was so beautiful, and he would have loved it. I'm so glad my grandson Theo discovered you, and everyone really appreciated your playing.

SW
Sara W
6 years ago, for a Funeral / Memorial service in Thornhill Rd
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4 out of 5

Melys Winds were kind enough to perform at the funeral of a former staff member and donor. The ensemble chose fitting music, played with empathy and gave a particularly moving rendition of Elgar’s Chanson du Matin. We were grateful to the ensemble for their professionalism under emotional circumstances and their poignant performance.

Read all 4 reviews