Hello and welcome to my website! 
This site contains a brief biography of my musical life and information that could be interesting to you if you are looking for an oboe or piano teacher. If you would like any more details, or would like to ask me about playing work or lessons, please contact me using any of the described methods on the right. Thanks!
Call/Text: 07792 265 478
Email: bmiddleton@hotmail.com
Address: Avenue Road, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 2BU
One lesson free the first time you book a block of 10!
Autumn 2023;
This term my trio Winds of Change are on tour around 10 primary schools in the BCP area, funded by music hub ‘Soundstorm’. The purpose of this tour is to showcase all the wonderful colours, sounds and possibilities of the woodwind family. Between us we play the flute/piccolo, oboe/cor anglais, bassoon, clarinet and saxophone so the children have experienced a whole orchestral woodwind section! We aimed to get the children involved as much as possible and also have fun ourselves – so far the concerts have been a great success, with lots of rave feedback from both staff and pupils!
See me in concert this Autumn:
Thursday 14th September, Barnstaple: BSO. Shostakovich Cello concerto with Sheku Kanneh Mason, and Mozart Symphony 41.
Friday 22nd September, Plymouth. BSO. Beethoven Violin Concerto. Mozart Symphony no 41.
Saturday 20th October, Poole Lighthouse, BSO. Lennon and McCartney classics
Saturday 4th November Portsmouth, 11th Nov Poole, 17th Nov Southampton, BSO Symphonic Space Music
Wednesday 15th November, Poole Lighthouse, Thursday 23rd Nov Basingstoke, BSO, the Rite of Spring, Sleeping Beauty suite, with dancers.
Saturday 9th December, Christchurch Priory, Bach Players, Messiah
Sunday 10th December, St Luke’s Church Parkstone, Cantabile Choir and Orchestra, Vivaldi Gloria
Saturday 16th December, St Mary’s Fratton Portsmouth, Southern Pro Musica, The Messiah
Monday 18th December, Brighton Lights Festival, Winds of Change, Christmas music
Tuesday 19th December, Bristol, BSO, Rite of Spring, full orchestra version
Summer 2023:
This term my woodwind and piano trio ‘Winds of Change’ went on tour, funded by the charity Live Music Now to six of the special educational needs schools of Bournemouth and Poole. The purpose of the tour was to provide high quality live music in these settings and to make it as interactive and engaging as possible. Although there were a huge range of needs and abilities in all the schools we visited, we got a really positive response and lots of excitement and engagement. a rewarding experience for all of us!
See me in concert this Summer:
17th June at 7.30 with the Bournemouth Bach Choir at Christchurch Priory
8th July at 7.30 with the St John’s Singers and Orchestra at St Thomas’s Church Salisbury, Haydn’s St Nicholas Mass
16th July at 19.30 supporting the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra ‘Rusties’ Project. Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances
4th August at 8pm with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in Meyrick Park. Superheroes music and fireworks!
Spring 2023;
Come and support my brave and wonderful pupils performing in this year’s concert – on the 10th May, at 17.30 in Bournemouth School for Girls! Just £5 per adult, £2 per child.
A massive congratulations to all pupils who took exams this Spring 2023 term – fantastic distinctions all round! Amelie Roe (90/100), Danny Chapman (135/150), and Oliver Lavelle (93/100) did exceptionally well, as well as 71 year old Peter Hinchs for his 92/100 grade 2 distinction after only learning the piano for a year.
Come and see me play live with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in Weymouth on the 8th September (2022). Julian Bliss will be playing the Mozart Piano Concerto, along with orchestral favourites including the William Tell overture, Smetana Vltava, Rachmaninoff Vocalise and Sibelius’s Karelia suite.
I have now been accepted as a musician on the Live Music Now program, which brings live music to schools, hospitals and nursing homes, to those that would not normally get to experience it. The performances are deliberately interactive to give as much enjoyment to their audiences as possible. I am looking forward to the challenge, and being able to use the LMN training in my coaching and teaching.
Fabulous concerts with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in Meyrick Park this August, fireworks and fizz on gorgeous summer evenings, thoroughly recommend it for next year!
Congratulations to one of my long standing pupils Sophia Parandian for getting full marks for her GCSE music performance on piano! Bravo!
Congratulations to young pupil Jason Button on getting a place in the prestigious Purcell School of Music at the age of 9 to study both piano and clarinet! (Jason has decided not to take up the place yet but great to have been offered the place!)
Summer 2018
Congratulations to Jason Button (age 8) for winning the grade 4 piano class (all ages) in the Bournemouth Music Competitions Festival! He also won his classes in Cello and Clarinet!
Autumn:
A massive congratulations to all 23 pupils who played in my inaugural pupil concert on November 8th at St Peter’s School! It was a great night and everyone performed brilliantly, despite some battling with nerves! Hopefully next year’s concert will be even better!
Also congratulations to 7 year old Jason Button for his distinction for grade 4 piano, and to his brother Simon for his merit for grade 6 piano.
Summer:
I played a very enjoyable Dittersdorf Oboe Concerto in G Major in St James’s Church in Shaftesbury on Saturday 22nd July with The Royal Court Players.
Congratulations to 10 year old Simon Button for becoming Bournemouth Competitions Festival Piano Sonata Champion of 2017!
Congratulations to Jason Button for an excellent distinction at grade 3 at the age of only 7!
Spring:
A very successful inaugural ‘Dorset Double Reed Day’ was held at the start of February. Lots of local oboists and bassoonists had a great day playing in masterclasses and ensembles and trying new instruments, all run by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra double reed members. Look out for Dorset Double Reed Day 2018!
Autumn:
Congratulations to Simon Button for being awarded a Scholarship for Castle Court School as a result of passing his grade 5 piano with merit by the age of 9! A fantastic achievement!
Congratulations also go to his brother Jason Button (6) for his Merit for grade 2 and Lauren Perry (18) for a Merit for grade 3.
Summer:
Congratulations again to oboe pupil Helen Matthews for being awarded 50/50 for her final A Level Music Recital! Good luck for your ongoing studies as an oboist at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Also big congratulations to Lara Muirhead (9) for her very good distinction for grade 4 piano, and to Freya Wigham (15) and Jade Burton (12) for their merits for grade 3 piano!
Autumn 2015:
Massive congratulations to my oboe pupil Helen Matthews for the offer of a place at the prestigious Royal College of Music but accepting the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on a full 4 year scholarship! A fantastic achievement!
Also congratulations to my piano pupils: Simon Button for his distinction at grade 3, and to Lara Muirhead and Jade Button for their merits at grade 3 and 2 respectively.
Summer 2015:
Congratulations to Freya Wigham for her merit for grade 2 piano.
Spring 2015:
Congratulations to my 16-year-old pupil Helen Matthews for passing her grade 8 oboe exam with a distinction! A bright future in music awaits!
Also congratulations to Simon Button and Lara Muirhead for their merits at grade 2 piano and Pau Balaguer for his merit for grade 3 oboe!
