Rigoutat
Discover Rigoutat oboes developed around the brand’s French design heritage and characterful sound. The Rigoutat Delphine provides an accessible introduction to a wooden oboe, with lightweight construction and an ergonomic key layout designed for younger players and smaller hands.
Discover Rigoutat oboes developed around the brand’s French design heritage and characterful sound. The Rigoutat Delphine provides an accessible introduction to a wooden oboe, with lightweight construction and an ergonomic key layout designed for younger players and smaller hands.
For those requiring more advanced keywork, the Rigoutat Riec combines a full conservatoire system with a grenadilla body and responsive playing feel. Both models give developing oboists an instrument designed to support comfortable technique and musical progression.
About Rigoutat
Rigoutat is a French oboe maker founded in Paris by Charles Rigoutat in 1922. The workshop remained an independent family business for three generations, passing from Charles to his son Roland and later to his grandson Philippe. After joining the workshop in 1977, Philippe became company president in 1992 and continued to develop its instruments in collaboration with professional musicians. Rigoutat joined the Buffet Crampon group in 2019, bringing its distinctive designs and long-established oboe-making heritage into the wider company.
The Rigoutat Delphine is named after Philippe Rigoutat’s daughter and is intended for beginner and progressing players. Its lightweight construction, longer key spatulas, and simplified Conservatoire system create a comfortable layout for younger players and smaller hands, while the grenadilla body produces a warm, resonant sound. The Rigoutat Riec offers a full Conservatoire system for advanced students, adult beginners, and amateur players. Its expanded keywork includes a third-octave key and left-hand F key, while silver-plated nickel-silver construction provides a smooth and durable playing surface. The Riec name combines elements of “Rigoutat” and “école”, reflecting the model’s focus on musical education.
More than a century after its foundation, Rigoutat remains recognised for its French oboe-making heritage and close relationship with musicians. Its student instruments carry this identity forward through characterful sound, responsive keywork, and designs shaped around the needs of developing players.
FAQs
Is the oboe the hardest instrument to play?
The oboe is considered one of the hardest instruments to play, although no single instrument is objectively the most difficult. Producing a stable tone requires controlled breathing, a well-developed embouchure, and careful reed technique, while its sensitive pitch makes accurate intonation especially demanding.
What is the most famous oboe piece?
The most famous oboe piece is widely considered to be Gabriel’s Oboe by Ennio Morricone. Written for the 1986 film 'The Mission', it is known for its lyrical melody and expressive character. It has since become one of the most widely recognised pieces associated with the instrument.
