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About Me

Dr. Dan Schwartz is an oboist, educator, and composer located in Chicago, Illinois.  As Artist Teacher of Oboe at Â鶹´«Ã½, as well as Lecturer of Musical Studies at Lake Forest College (previously 10 years as Associate Professor of Oboe at the University of Oklahoma), Dan is passionate about connecting students to music in new and exciting ways.  

An avid performer, Dan is currently the principal oboe of the Illinois Symphony. Prior to this, Dan spent ten years as the Associate Principal Oboe/English Horn player in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Dan has also performed with orchestras throughout North America, including the National Arts Center Orchestra of Canada, the Nashville Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the San Antonio Symphony. He also spent many summers as Principal Oboe of the FAVA Opera in Perigueux, France. Dan is a frequent recitalist at the International Double Reed Society Conference, most notably performing his own original compositions.  As an instructor, he has recently presented masterclasses at the University of Michigan, DePaul University, University of Texas Austin, Vanderbilt University, University of Costa Rica, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Interlochen Academy for the Arts, University of Missouri Kansas City, University of Northern Colorado, and University of Central Florida, amongst others.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from Vanderbilt University, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the university's highest academic honor, the Founders Medal. He also holds a Master of Music degree in Oboe Performance from the University of Texas Austin, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Oboe Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, where he also received a degree minor in Music Education.

Beyond playing and performing, Dan is a devoted composer, with numerous published works to his name.  These compositions have been presented at recitals and conferences around the globe.  A lover of travel and experiencing as much world culture as possible, Dan has performed and taught in Spain, France, Japan, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania, the Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, and even Sydney, Australia for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.