Sub Principal Oboe - WC2E 9DD in London

The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House is seeking to appoint to the position of Sub Principal Oboe. We invite applications from outstanding players with considerable recent relevant professional experience. The successful candidate will be a musician of the highest calibre who is self-motivated, reliable and versatile with the ability to work under pressure as part of an established team.

The terms and conditions of employment for this position offer some flexibility in workload and schedule. This is a permanent salaried position.

We actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams. In line with the ‘Hiring and recruitment in UK Orchestras; Good practice recommendations, 10 point action plan’ developed by Black Lives in Music, the Musicians’ Union, and the Association of British Orchestras, we will be conducting screened first round auditions to encourage and promote undiscovered talent.

Auditions will be held in London as follows:

• First rounds: 7th, 8th & 9th April 2026
• Second rounds: Late April & May 2026

Our preference will be to hear first round candidates in person, but should you be unable to attend on the scheduled dates we will accept a recorded audition to be submitted by Monday 6th April 2026 (full instructions will be sent to shortlisted candidates). Second round auditions will be in person only.

All applications will be anonymised for shortlisting purposes. The format of the auditions will be:

• First round (behind screens): Mozart Oboe Concerto – 1st movement (exposition only) Orchestral excerpts only
• Second round (unscreened with piano accompaniment): Mozart Oboe Concerto – 1st & 2nd movements Orchestral excerpts only

Closing date for applications: 11:59pm, Tuesday 24th March. To ensure a fair process, late applications will not be considered under any circumstances. Please note we will aim to contact shortlisted candidates by the end of Friday 27th March.

Should candidates who are shortlisted for trial work or offered permanent employment not have current UK work authorisation, RBO will provide support in obtaining the necessary permission to work depending on individual circumstances. Please contact us at the relevant point in the recruitment process if this applies to you.

If you have any questions regarding this position please e-mail.

The Royal Ballet and Opera is one of the UK’s leading arts organisations and our aim is to inspire imagination, ignite emotion and make the extraordinary for everyone. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.

We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or those who are disabled, as they are under-represented within our organisation.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.

The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.

For more information about working with the Royal Ballet and Opera, please review the info pack.

For a list of potential reasonable adjustments, please review this guidance document. If you have any access requirements for your application, please contact the RBO Recruitment Team.