About

Biography

Alex Liedtke is principal oboe/hautbois solo of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, appointed by music director Rafael Payare in 2024.

Alex has served in a number of orchestral positions in his career, having won a total of nine professional orchestra auditions and being named runner up at an additional four. Due to this unusual volume of audition experience and success, Alex is highly sought after as coach and mentor for those preparing their own professional auditions. Most recently, Alex has held the positions of:

• Associate principal oboe of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (2 seasons, 2022-2024)

• Second oboe of the Grant Park Orchestra (current member, 3 seasons, 2022-present)

• Associate principal/english horn (acting/interim) of the North Carolina Symphony (2 seasons, 2015-2017)

• Guest principal oboe of the Chilean State Opera and Ballet Orchestra (1 season, 2018)

Alex held positions with several regional orchestras in the southeast United States after finishing his training, including the Augusta (GA), Greenville (SC), Wheeling (WV) and Fayetteville (NC) Symphony Orchestras, as well as positions with several regional orchestras in the Chicago area, including the Peoria and Elgin Symphony Orchestras.

Alex is passionate about composing and arranging - several new arrangements of early music adapted for the oboe/oboe d’amore are featured on his solo CD “A New Renaissance,” which is available on all streaming platforms. He also releases recordings of baroque and renaissance repertoire on his YouTube channel, much of which is unrecorded by oboe or previously recorded in styles unfit for the era.

Alex is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music under Elizabeth Camus and he thereafter studied extensively with Robin Driscoll. Alex took additional study with Robert Morgan and Carolyn Hove.

“Et quel plaisir d’entendre un hautboïste phraser de bout en bout son irrésistible mais difficile solo!” - Par Rémy Louis, Diapason