Breana Gilcher Appointed Lecturer of Oboe

The UC Santa Barbara Department of Music has appointed Breana Gilcher as Lecturer of Oboe, beginning in Winter 2021. In addition to an extensive career in classical and historic performance, Gilcher performs with many of today’s most recognized new music groups in Los Angeles, and is also a board-certified Music Therapist.

“The Department of Music at UCSB is excited to welcome Breana Gilcher as Lecturer of Oboe,” said Robert Koenig, Professor and Chair of the Department of Music. “A well-known and established musician throughout California, Breana performs frequently with many well-known ensembles and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our woodwind programs at UCSB. With her additional experience as a board-certified Music Therapist with the American Music Therapy Association, she brings a unique and special educational experience to our students at UCSB.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining such an enthusiastic and welcoming music faculty, and to support our intrepid oboe students in achieving their musical goals,” said Gilcher. “Having grown up on the coast of Florida, I’m looking forward to smelling the sea air in between classes when in-person instruction resumes!”

Gilcher performs throughout California in a variety of musical settings, playing classical orchestral music with groups such as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, LA Opera, Santa Barbara Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, and Fresno Philharmonic, new music with wild Up contemporary music collective, WasteLAnd new music, Ghost Ensemble, and Jacaranda Music, as well as historic performance with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. Passionate about improvisation, Gilcher frequently performs in improvised settings, including her own electroacoustic chamber ensemble Petrichor, which was invited to perform at the 2019 International Society for Improvised Music Festival and Conference. As a soloist she won second prize in the Riverside Philharmonic’s 2018 Concerto Competition for her performance of Vaughan Williams’ Concerto for Oboe and Strings. Gilcher also works extensively as a studio musician, contributing to scores for film and television.

Gilcher holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy with specialized studies in Oboe Performance from Florida State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Oboe Performance from California Institute of the Arts. Her primary teachers were Dr. Eric Ohlsson and Dr. Allan Vogel, respectively. She has pursued additional studies of English horn with Carolyn Hove, Baroque oboe with Gonzalo Ruiz, and improvisation with Vinny Golia. A dedicated educator, Gilcher maintains a private teaching studio in addition to her work at UC Santa Barbara. She is a certified Personal Trainer with a passion for helping artists prevent and care for performance-related injuries. As a boardcertified Music Therapist with the American Music Therapy Association, Gilcher has provided care for children with developmental disabilities, patients with Multiple Sclerosis, and the elderly, including a six-month clinical internship with Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee, FL.