How old were you when you started playing your instrument?

“I started playing the oboe when I was 11 years old. I had played the flute for a year previously, and the piano since age 6. I didn’t even know what the oboe was when my middle school band director suggested that I play it! While I continued playing flute through high school (and piccolo in marching band!) I really fell in love with the unique sound of the oboe, especially in orchestral music.”

Besides the Bakersfield Symphony, what else do you do for a living?

“I perform with orchestras all over California, maintain a private teaching studio, serve as a Teaching Artist with the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA), and manage my handmade oboe reed business, for which I fulfill orders nationwide. In short: I play oboe, teach oboe, and make oboe reeds!”

What do you enjoy most about playing with the BSO? 

“Playing great orchestral music on the oboe is one of my favorite things in life. The BSO has made great artistic strides recently, and I always look forward to the social camaraderie and feeling of community that comes with performing in an established orchestra. A major career highlight of mine was performing Oscar Navarro’s Concerto “Legacy” with the BSO in 2022.”

What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring musician? 

“It would be a huge honor to have my chair sponsored! Musician sponsorships create a connection from the stage to the audience. Knowing that someone out there listening has a special interest in me or in the oboe is a signal that my artistry is well-supported and the future of classical music in Bakersfield will carry on.”