Sofia Torgal

Portuguese oboist who began her musical training at EPABI – Escola Profissional de Artes da Covilhã, where she studied with Professor Francisco Luís Vieira. She continued her studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, completing her Bachelor’s degree under the guidance of Professor Remco de Vries. She later enrolled at the University of Music in Trossingen, Germany, where she completed two Master’s degrees: one in Oboe Solo Performance (2022) and another in Chamber Music (2024), both under the renowned oboist Nicholas Daniel. In 2024, she began her PhD in Musical Performance at the University of Aveiro, supervised by Professor Jean-Michel Garetti.

Sofia maintains an active career as both performer and educator. She has performed with several ensembles and orchestras in Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany, including the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Metropole Orkest Academy, Nederlands Studenten Orkest, and Orchester UniMi Milano. She is currently a member of the Kammerphilharmonie Bodensee-Oberschwaben, the Bodensee-Bachkantaten-Ensemble, the Minifaktur Ensemble, and the Sinfonieorchester Villingen-Schwenningen. She also serves as conductor of the Akkordeon Orchester Salemertal.

As an educator, she teaches oboe at several music schools in southern Germany, including the Musikschulen in Donauechingen, Radolfzell, Friedrichshafen, and Schule Schloss Salem. She has also led masterclasses and participated in advanced training with internationally renowned oboists. In 2025, she was invited to serve on the jury of the Prima la Musica competition in Austria. Alongside her orchestral and teaching work, Sofia is dedicated to chamber music and has received recognition in several international competitions with ensembles such as Trio Grazioso, Trio Amabile, and Sori Trio.

Doctoral  Project

Title
The Feminine Voice of the Oboe: A Gendered Approach to Performance

Advisor
Helena Marinho e Jean Michel Garetti (co-advisor)

Abstract
This project investigates the intersections between gender and musical performance through the lens of the oboe. Positioned within the framework of feminist theory, gender studies, and artistic research, the project seeks to explore how the oboe — an instrument historically situated within male-dominated orchestral traditions — can become a site of feminist inquiry, resistance, and expression. Grounded in my personal experience as a Portuguese woman oboist, this project unfolds through three performative case studies: Vozes em Suspensão, Salon XXI, and A Room of Her Own. Each case study explores different dimensions of feminist performance — from reinterpreting existing compositions, to creating interdisciplinary salons and commissioning new works through collaborative processes. Drawing on feminist musicology, embodied performance practice, and cooperative dialogue, the research aims to challenge normative structures in classical music, amplify the work of Portuguese women composers, and contribute to the development of feminist performance strategies within contemporary art music.

Keywords
Feminism; Gender Studies; Artistic research; Performance; Oboe.