Biography

Esther van der Ploeg is a versatile oboist who specialised in both modern and historical performance practice. She began her studies at Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam, where she studied with Maarten Dekkers and Aisling Casey. In 2013, she completed her bachelor’s degree and received a scholarship for promising young musicians to support her further development. In 2017, she completed a Master of Music at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin, studying with Prof. Dominik Wollenweber. During this period, her interest in Baroque music and historical instruments began to deepen. To explore this further, she pursued a second master’s degree in Early Music at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she graduated in 2019 under the guidance of Josep Domenech.

Esther works as a freelance oboist and has performed with several renowned Dutch orchestras, including the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Residentie Orchestra and Philharmonie Zuid Nederland. I the early music scene, she regularly performs with with ensembles such as the Netherlands Bach Society, the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Wrocław Baroque Orchestra and Collegium 1704.

In addition to her work as a performing musician, Esther enjoys teaching. She has a private teaching studio and is affiliated as an oboe teacher with BplusC in Leiden. She values sharing her experience and enthusiasm, and aims to help students play with confidence and enjoyment, whether they are just starting out or already more advanced. Outside of music, she finds inspiration in nature, she maintains a vegetable garden and has been actively involved in pottery in recent years.