Kerry Willingham, Oboist and Reedmaker

I grew up in South Texas and first studied with Bill Benjamin and Elizabeth Camus, both principal oboists with the San Antonio Symphony in the early 1970's. Attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and was a student of Jerry Sirucek receiving a Bachelors degree in Oboe performance. Attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX in 1977-1980, receiving a M.M degree in church music ministries. At that time, I studied with Noah Knepper in woodwind pedagogy. In 1980 I accepted a position as instructor of music at Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, MO and worked on a Ph. D. at Washington University in Historical Performance Practice, studying baroque oboe with Nora Post and baroque flute with Nicholas McGegan and performance practice master classes with Wieland Keujken. In 1984, I won the position as principal oboist with the United States Army Field Band of Washington D. C. where there were many opportunities for solo and ensemble performance as a free lance musician in the Washington D.C. area. I performed with "Prevailing Winds" woodwind quintet making a debut in Kennedy Center in the Washington Performing Arts series. and was active in chamber music and with wife Donna, a violinist formed the Annapolis Baroque Ensemble which performs in many historic houses in the Annapolis, MD area.