Donna Conaty
Principal Oboe
The Lee Shackelford Chair
The 2023-24 season marks Donna Conaty’s 30th year as principal oboe of ProMusica. Additional performance credits include the San Diego Symphony, California Chamber Orchestra, seven seasons in the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Orchestra under the direction of Marin Alsop; the Columbus Symphony, principal oboe of the Lancaster Festival Orchestra; Artist Fellow in the Bach Aria Festival, NY, NY; Spoleto Festival Orchestra; principal oboe of the Evansville Philharmonic; and principal oboe of the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra. Her artistic interests are championing new works and performing in chamber music settings.
Donna has performed as a recitalist or presented masterclasses for numerous professional music conferences and university audiences. Many of her oboe students are active as leading performers, university faculty, teachers, and arts professionals throughout the U.S. and abroad. During her academic career her leadership roles included serving as a School Director, Associate Dean, and Interim Dean at San Diego State University where she worked from 2007-2020. Donna was a faculty member at Ohio University from 1989-2007 where she had earned the faculty rank of professor, received recognition for her outstanding teaching, and served in multiple leadership roles.
Donna retired from academia in 2021 and she and her husband Brig now reside in Santa Cruz located on California’s spectacular Monterey Bay. When not performing or making copious amounts of reeds, she enjoys the long gardening season that California affords and not needing to own an ice scraper or a snow shovel!
Donna performs on an exceptional cocuswood oboe made in 2020 by the American maker Thomas Hiniker.
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