6. Yale School of Music – New Haven, CT
Notable Faculty: Stephen Taylor
Oboist Stephen Taylor is equally at home in modern-classical genres as well as in traditional oboe performances, having been noted by classical critics for unique interpretations of both Mozart and Elliot Carter. His students are typically among the best of the hundreds of oboe majors in the US, and acceptance to his free-tuition Yale studio on the graduate level is an honor few oboists can get. Choose Stephen Taylor and Yale for an excellent, uncompromising education in oboe performance.
5. New England Conservatory – Boston, MA
Notable Faculty: John Ferrillo, Keisuke Wakao, Mark McEwan
Principal oboist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, John Ferrillo has had a remarkable career as an oboist, formerly holding the position of principal oboist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1987-2001. His seminal text, Orchestral Excerpts for Oboe
, has become a staple for oboists looking to master the difficult yet rewarding orchestral audition. His current students are active musicians in the Greater Boston area, teaching at preparatory colleges, performing with community orchestras, and freelancing in chamber groups. A fantastic article about Ferrillo was posted in late 2012 here.
Other faculty members include Keisuke Wakao and Mark McEwan, two other members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Like with many great schools, NEC’s oboe department has an intriguing edge over other colleges due to its relationship with a major and historic classical ensemble, the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
4. Manhattan School of Music
Notable Faculty: Liang Wang, Robert Botti, Stephen Taylor
A dynamic oboe faculty comprised of members of the New York Philharmonic as well as a member of the entrepreneurial new music ensemble ICE, the Manhattan School of Music’s oboe program provides highly advanced training to aspiring professional orchestral oboists. Liang Wang, who is the principal oboist of the New York Philharmonic, a position he won in 2006 after being picked by Lorin Maazel, also teaches at New York University.
For student oboists, there are actually a number of degree-granting programs available at MSM. There is the undergraduate and graduate program in oboe performance, a graduate degree in “Orchestral Performance,” and for oboists seeking a career in modern music, there is a “Contemporary Performance” degree as well.