Ryan Zwahlen, Principal Oboe

Ryan is one of Southern California's most sought-after oboists. He has performed multiple times with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the batons of Zubin Mehta and Bramwell Tovey. He has played with many orchestras in the region, including the LA Ballet, Culver City Chamber Orchestra, Riverside Philharmonic, Bakersfield Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, Santa Monica Symphony, and the Center Stage Opera Orchestra.

Zwahlen's passion for music is not limited to orchestral performance. He is deeply committed to chamber music as the Executive Director of the Definiens Project, a non-profit, contemporary chamber music organization (www.definiens.org). Thanks largely to his leadership, the group completed a residency at UCLA in Fall 2007 and was the Resident Ensemble of the 2009 Fresno New Music Festival. Residency activities are also being conducted at Biola University throughout the 2009-2010 school year. Ryan's other chamber music activities have included the Tonoi Ensemble, LA Harmonie Ensemble, Santa Monica Symphony Wind Quintet and most recently as a founding member the Vientos Trio (www.vientostrio.com).

Ryan has taught at both UCLA and Citrus College in California, and he joined the faculty of the Las Vegas Music Festival for its 2006 season. He has also committed his time and energy to the Children's Music Workshop of Los Angeles and to the Santa Monica/Malibu United School District.

His debut solo CD, "In the City at Night," consists of seven solo English horn pieces all written for him (www.ryanzwahlen.com). His upcoming recording projects consist of a CD of wind chamber music by Jenni Brandon, as well as the debut chamber music CD from The Definiens Project.

Ryan is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Chamber Music and Oboe at UCLA. He received his Master of Music degree from Arizona State University and his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He currently resides in Los Angeles.