IONAREED
After years of playing and teaching the oboe I realised that the general standards of bought reeds were quite inconsistent from one reed to the next, causing much frustration amongst my fellow colleagues and pupils.
As an experienced reed maker, I decided to set about trying to change this. Initially supplying high quality reeds to my own students; my clientele has now expanded to other teachers, players and students of all levels.
The highest quality cane and materials are used in all my oboe reeds at all levels. Every reed is hand-finished and carefully checked by me before sale. Any reeds not adhering to my high standards are destroyed. Reeds are sterilised before posting using a flavourless, alchohol free fluid, killing 99.9% of bacteria.
All reeds are made and profiled by hand using Udo Heng professional machines.
If you or your students are looking for a free, full-bodied and responsive reed for your oboe, you have come to the right place.
IONA WALKER
Iona studied oboe at Birmingham Conservatoire and was tutored by renowned oboists Richard Weigall, George Caird and Jenni Phillips. She also studied Baroque Oboe and Cor Anglais with Gail Hennessy and Anna Cooper. During her time at the Conservatoire, she participated in masterclasses given by prestigious soloists such as Chris Cowie, Rainer Gibbons and Nicholas Daniel. In 2009 Iona graduated with honours in and went on to gain a PGCE and NQT in music and instrumental teaching.
Iona is a well respected reed maker having set up her business IonaReed in 2014. Over the years her reputation has grown and she now supplies reeds to many countries and has been recommended by top professionals. She is passionate about helping others understand their reeds and frequently does video tutorials and has recently started doing online reed surgeries for people who want help with their reeds in an interactive way.
In 2018 Iona started training to be a woodwind repairer and studied advanced woodwind repair at the Llangunllo School in Wales. In 2019 Iona was fortunate enough to be offered an apprenticeship with Paul Windridge in Leicester.
In 2022 Iona gained a position working for Howarth of London as a skilled oboe finisher in their workshops in Worthing, UK.