FRANCISCO CASTILLO

Francisco Castillo earned his Masters in Music in oboe performance from the University of Southern California, a Bachelors and Licenciatura in oboe, composition and orchestra conducting from the University of Costa Rica. He was the winner of the Costa Rica National Prize in composition, 1979, for his orchestral work TUPACK AMARU. In 1988 the Los Angeles Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet premiered hisWoodwind Quintet, Op.22, No.1. As an Oboist, Francisco was a prize winner at the 34th Chamber Music Competition in Colmar, France, with the USC Graduate Woodwind Quintet and also won the first William Criss Memorial Award at USC in 1985. In 1998, after a very successful concert tour to China, Francisco was given an honorary membership to the Chinese Musicians Union and the Literary Society of Shingdao by the Chinese Musicians Union and the government of China for his teachings and help to Chinese students.

Francisco is the principal Oboist with the Redlands Symphony, California Philharmonic Orchestra, Burbank Symphony Orchestra, The Chamber Orchestra of Pasadena, San Bernardino Orchestra and the Pasadena Pops Orchestra. He is the solo oboist with the Los Angeles Woodwind Quintet and the new age jazz group L.A. Reed Machine. Mr. Castillo has performed with many different orchestras including the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Castillo is also the Oboe and the Chamber Music instructor at Redlands University, La Sierra University, the Idyllwild Arts Academy and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He has been recognized as an outstanding oboe teacher and chamber music clinician. Many of his students have won major solo and chamber music competitions in the United States and have been admitted to the best universities and music schools.