Leon Goossens

Leon Goossens was one of the two most influential oboe virtuosos of the 20th century, the other being Marcel Tabuteau, the celebrated first oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Goossens was born in Liverpool, England, in June 1897, into a family of musicians; his father and brother (both named Eugene) were famous conductors, while his two sisters became prominent harpists. Leon's first musical training was on the piano. He took up the oboe under the tutelage of Charles Reynolds at the age of eight. He began to make professional appearances just two years later at ten. Between 1...