PHILHARMONIA oboist Gordon Hunt sounds equally excited about brown trout as he does Richard Strauss. He talks to Janina Nicoll about fly fishing, conducting the NZSO and the oboe.

GORDON Hunt, a “three-quarters Kiwi” has come back to NZ every January for the past seven years to fish, holiday, and teach at the Ruapehu International Oboe Summer School at Chateau Tongariro. Luckily that’s a great spot for fly fishing.
“The biggest fish I’ve ever caught was seven and a half pounds – a brown trout,” he says, excitedly. “It’s a perfect spot for fishing.”
London-based Hunt, who is principal oboist of the Philharmonia Orchestra and a sought-after soloist, conducts and performs in Wind Power, the return of the NZSO Soloists Series, at the Michael Fowler Centre on February 19.
Unusually, he will play (Krommer’s Partita in B flat major) as well as conduct (Richard Strauss’ Serenade in E flat and Suite in B flat).
“It has its problems. You have blood in your hands after conducting,” he says, then pauses.
“I didn’t say blood on your hands,” he adds, laughing. “You use your hands and arms in a very different way when you are conducting, in comparison to playing. And it’s much harder for the oboe to be warmed up, as I will be conducting.”
Hunt’s soft English accent reveals his nationality’s remaining quarter as English.
“My mother was a Kiwi and my father was half a Kiwi and half English. They met when he was 20 and she was seven – he was her brother’s friend - but it wasn’t till years later when he came back from being a Prisoner of War in Germany and she was studying at the Royal Academy of Music that they fell in love.”
Hunt’s mother was a Piano Professor at the Academy and his father a soldier and violinist.
“I think music often does run in the family but it doesn’t have to. People spring out of nowhere sometimes and they can be wonderful.”
Hunt grew up listening to orchestras and the sound of the oboe had already captivated him by the age of 13.
“My parents were surprised with my choice but really encouraging. It has some of the nicest solos in the wind repertoire so I’m very blessed.”
He will get his blood pumping when he conducts two works by Strauss.
“Strauss’ hero was Mozart and he maintained that for most of his life. It’s obvious that he studied Mozart’s music for woodwind and was studying Mozart’s scores – as he couldn’t go out and buy a Mozart record. A lot of what Strauss wrote later - the craftsmanship - was wonderful.”
Hunt’s trip to the Tongariro region meant he could visit his aunt and founding member of the NZSO - violinist Lesley Anderson - a welcome, familiar face amongst a busy schedule touring and travelling.
“I took 16 trips abroad last year. That’s quite a lot,” he says amused.
Wellington is the first stop for his NZ tour featuring NZSO woodwind players, including principal flautist Bridget Douglas.
“During my 14 years with the NZSO the wind section has only been improving to a real international standard. Hopefully that’s why Gordon wished to come over because he’s a real star,” Douglas says.
“It’s pretty hard to make a solo career as perhaps the oboe is not the sexiest of instruments,’ she says. “Although the same could be said of the flute,” she adds laughing.
“The wind doesn’t have the repertoire from some of the top composers, like the cellos or violins do, but Strauss writes so lusciously for wind and the Forster is so romantic,” she adds.
Douglas is looking forward to performing more intimate chamber works, such as Forster’s Quintet in D major.
“The intimacy draws the listener in and we, as players, have to listen and play in a different way in. It makes you more transparent as sometimes you can feel slightly obliterated within the thickness of the texture in an orchestral work so it is a treat for us.”
Wind Power featuring Gordon Hunt, Michael Fowler Centre, 8pm, February 19.