George Caird studied the oboe at the Royal Academy of Music with Janet Craxton, at the Nordwestdeutsche Musikakademie Detmold and privately with Neil Black. George has worked with many major orchestras and was a member of The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields from 1983 to 1993. He has devoted much time to chamber music, notably as a foundermember of The Albion Ensemble, Vega Wind Quintet and Caird Oboe Quartet.
George has been a committed teacher and educationalist throughout his career. He joined the Royal Academy of Music as professor of oboe in 1984, subsequently taking on the roles of Head of Woodwind and Head of Orchestral Studies. Between 1993 and 2010, George was Principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and from 2011 – 2016 he held the position of Musical Director of the Classical Music Academy at Codarts Rotterdam. From 2017-2018 he served as interim Principal of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama prior to the appointment of their new Principal and from 2020 – 2021 was Interim Principal of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
George is President of the Barbirolli International Oboe Competition and President of Bromsgrove International Musicians’ Competition.