Paul Goodwin

Paul Goodwin is renowned for his historically informed interpretations of music of all periods, his wide repertoire and his interest in contemporary music. He has a great passion for incorporating period style within the traditional orchestral world and creating unusual and dynamic programs. He is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival in California and previously held conducting positions with the the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Basel Chamber Orchestra, the South West German Radio Orchestra and the Royal College of Music.
He has guest conducted many of the world’s finest orchestras, from the San Francisco Symphony to the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Spanish National to the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the BBC Symphony to the Scottish National and in opera from the Teatro Real Madrid to the Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen.
Paul is passionate about teaching and working with young people of all ages, from youth music theatre productions to national youth orchestras. He studied with Nicholas Harnoncourt in Salzburg, Jürg Schaeftlein in Vienna and conducting with Jorma Panula in Helsinki. For many years he was the foremost period oboe player in Europe and has recorded many solo albums. He was baroque oboe professor at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. He has conducted and tutored many national youth orchestras, including the National Youth Orchestra of Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.
Since the 2021-2022 academic year, he is professor at the Reina Sofía School of Music’s Société Générale Historical Performance programme.