Meet Margot Golding, Principal Oboe

Margot Golding, Principal Oboe

Season Chair Sponsor: William & Lynn Callender

Principal oboist Margot Golding joined the Marin Symphony in 1998. She spent 33 years as a commercial banking executive, while also performing with the Oakland Symphony, the California Symphony and the Fremont Symphony. Not one to slow down, she is currently a member of Echo Chamber Orchestra, and serves on the board of several high-profile, non-profit organizations.

What do you like about playing with Marin Symphony?

It’s always been a very collegial group of people, and Alasdair Neale has taken the level of the orchestra from a strong community orchestra level to a really high professional level. He is just a treasure for us and it’s a joy to play with people who are that good.

How did you come to play the oboe?

When I was in fourth grade, they gave us a list of instruments we could play in the orchestra, and oboe was on that list. I always liked to be a little different, so I started taking private lessons in fifth grade.

What are the challenges of playing oboe?

Oboe in particular has the most persnickety reed of any reed instrument. You spend an extraordinary amount of time on your reeds, because they are what make the sound of the instrument.
(Read entire interview.)