# Neil Black

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Neil_Black
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Neil_Black.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Black
> Source revision: 1310773077
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

This article is about the English musician. For the Australian politician, see [Neil Black (Australian politician)](/source/Neil_Black_(Australian_politician)).

**Neil Cathcart Black** [OBE](/source/OBE) (28 May 1932 – 14 August 2016) was an English [oboist](/source/Oboist). He held the post of principal oboe in four London orchestras, and taught at the [Royal Academy of Music](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Music) and the [Guildhall School of Music and Drama](/source/Guildhall_School_of_Music_and_Drama).

## Early life and education

Black was born in [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham)[1] on 28 May 1932.[2] He starting playing the [oboe](/source/Oboe) at the age of 11,[3] and played in the [National Youth Orchestra](/source/National_Youth_Orchestra_of_Great_Britain) between 1948 and 1951.[1]

He attended [Exeter College, Oxford](/source/Exeter_College,_Oxford) between 1952 and 1956, and took a degree in history.[3] In 1956–57 Black studied the oboe with [Terence MacDonagh](/source/Terence_MacDonagh).[1]

## Career

From 1958 to 1960 he was principal oboist of the [London Philharmonic Orchestra](/source/London_Philharmonic_Orchestra). Later in his career, he was the principal oboist of the [Academy of St Martin in the Fields](/source/Academy_of_St_Martin_in_the_Fields), the [English Chamber Orchestra](/source/English_Chamber_Orchestra) and the [London Mozart Players](/source/London_Mozart_Players).[1] He is described by *The Oxford Dictionary of Music* as a "frequent soloist with chamber orchestras" and a "specialist in Baroque and pre‐classical repertoire".[1]

From 1960 to 1970 Black was a professor at the [Royal Academy of Music](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Music), London.[1] He later taught at the [Guildhall School of Music and Drama](/source/Guildhall_School_of_Music_and_Drama).[4]

## Recognition

Black was appointed [OBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1989.[4][5][2]

## Later life, death and legacy

In his later years he musical director of the Kirckman Concert Society,[6] which was formed in 1963 to promote young artists of exceptional talent.[7] He also became advisor to the [Tunnell Trust](/source/Tunnell_Trust), encouraging young musicians in this role as well.[8]

He died at [Sutton Coldfield](/source/Sutton_Coldfield)[1] on 14 August 2016.[2]

The [Neil Black Award](/source/Neil_Black_Award) was created in honour of Black, based on a donation given to the [Countess of Munster Musical Trust](/source/Countess_of_Munster_Musical_Trust) after his death in 2016. It is awarded annually to a young [woodwind](/source/Woodwind) player.[8]

## Discography

- *For a Girls' Night In'*. Decca (028947610427). (Features Black in Vivaldi's Oboe Concerto in F)
- *Mozart and Beethoven: Quintets for Piano and Winds*. Sony Classics (074644209921)
- *Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, Horn Quintet, Oboe Quartet*. (ASIN B00000411T) (Features Black in Mozart's [Oboe Quartet in F](/source/Oboe_Quartet_(Mozart)))
- *Mozart, Strauss, Weber: Wind Concertos*. Sony. (ASIN B0000029S9) (Features Black in Richard Strauss's [Oboe Concerto in D major](/source/Oboe_Concerto_(Richard_Strauss)))
- *Vaughan Williams: Concerto For Oboe; Concerto For Tuba; The Lark Ascending*. Deutsche Grammophon (B0017IAUOK)

## References

1. Kennedy, Michael (ed.) (2013). ["Black, Neil Cathcart"](https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199578108.001.0001/acref-9780199578108-e-1095). *The Oxford Dictionary of Music*. 6th ed. [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press). ISBN 9780191744518.

1. ["Obituary - Neil Black, oboist and teacher"](https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/14734925.obituary---neil-black-oboist-teacher/). *HeraldScotland*. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2022.

1. *The Double Reed*, International Double Reed Society, 2006, vol. 29, p. 103

1. ["Neil Black"](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/neil-black-mn0000139397), Allmusic, accessed 4 June 2013

1. Emerson, June (9 September 2016). ["Neil Black obituary"](http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/09/neil-black-obituary). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved 16 January 2022.

1. ["The Society's board"](http://www.kirckman.org.uk/html/board.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110717134541/http://www.kirckman.org.uk/html/board.htm) 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Kirckman Concert Society, accessed 5 June 2013

1. ["About the Society"](http://www.kirckman.org.uk/html/about.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180831234835/http://kirckman.org.uk/html/about.htm) 31 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine Kirckman Concert Society, accessed 5 June 2013

1. ["The Neil Black Award from The Countess of Munster Musical Trust"](https://www.munstertrust.org.uk/funding/neil-black-award/). *The Countess of Munster Musical Trust*. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Neil Black](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Black) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Black?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.