Malcolm Messiter

Malcolm Messiter (born 1949) is a British oboist, particularly well known for his recording of the virtuosic 'La Favorita' Concerto by Antonio Pasculli. He is the son of Ian Messiter, the creator of the BBC panel show, Just a Minute, and his wife Enid (née Senior).

Education

Messiter began playing the oboe at the age of 15 whilst a student at Bryanston School in Blandford Forum, Dorset. His first oboe teacher was Douglas Heffer, who taught both the oboe and English at Bryanston. Messiter was extremely enthusiastic from the onset and was known to play chamber music concerts at the school almost every week. When first beginning the oboe, Heffer bought him an oboe, the cost of which was put on the school bill, much to the surprise of his parents.

In 1967, after only learning the oboe for 2 years, Messiter won a scholarship to the Paris Conservatoire. Messiter studied in Paris with Pierre Pierlôt, before returning to London in 1969 to study with Sidney Sutcliffe at the Royal College of Music. Whilst there, he won the Joy Boughton, the Grade 5 and the R.A.O.S. Prizes as well as a Performers' A.R.C.M. with Honours. He was featured soloist for the theme to BBC TV’s The Secret Garden (1975).

His oboe playing features prominently in the song Twist in My Sobriety by Tanita Tikaram.