Isabel began her musical life learning recorder, flute, bassoon and piano before going on to study bassoon and contrabassoon at Trinity College of Music with Stephen Maw and at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Graham Sheen, Meyrick Alexander and Gordon Laing. Her studies at Trinity included the peripatetic teaching option. She was a member of the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and the Aurora Ensemble with whom she performed on the BBC Radio 3 Young Artists Forum and at The Purcell Rooms on The South Bank as well as touring the North East of England and The Republic of Ireland. Following her studies Isabel was sub-principal bassoonist with the Cyprus State Orchestra where she played and also taught for three years before moving back to the UK and settling in York. Since then, she has led a busy life playing and teaching woodwind at many schools in the North Yorkshire region….Isabel honed her oboe teaching skills later in life after taking lessons with Jane Wright. She currently teaches at St Peter’s School, Bootham school, Ampleforth College and Queen Mary’s School for Girls. Isabel has been principal bassoon with the York Guildhall Orchestra since 2007 as well as with the Academy of St Olave’s, with whom she has performed as a soloist on several occasions. Along with Force Five Wind Quintet, Isabel is also a member of the recently formed Sestina Wind Sextet and the effervescent Mapletones bassoon quartet! Isabel’s freelance work includes Opera North, the National Festival Orchestra, the Manchester Concert Orchestra, the East Riding Concert Orchestra and the Paradox Orchestra.