Claire Brazeau
Principal Oboe
Allan Vogel Chair, endowed by the Henry Family
Claire Brazeau is the principal oboist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra where her career began as second oboist, a position she held from 2014-16. An active soloist and chamber musician, Claire was also an awarded finalist in the International Gillet-Fox Oboe Competition in 2017.
Claire has established herself as a versatile soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. An awarded finalist in the International Gillet-Fox Oboe Competition, her command of the instrument has been featured in concerto performances with orchestras and ensembles such as Le Train Bleu at Bravo Vail, the Redlands Symphony, and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. Claire has become a fixture in the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s numerous chamber music series in addition to guest appearances with the Camerata Pacifica and Jacaranda series.
An omnivorous musician, Claire can be heard performing period instruments with the Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra followed by a concert of world premieres with new music collective Wild Up, of which she is a member. In addition to her concert season, Claire is an active freelance studio musician who has recorded for several film and TV soundtrack recordings.
Claire is part of the woodwind faculty of the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach where she maintains an active oboe studio. Deeply committed to music education, Claire frequently serves as guest clinician at numerous youth orchestra programs in Southern California. She is also a faculty member at the National Take a Stand Festival; a full-scholarship youth orchestra intensive spearheaded by the LA Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel comprised of nationally selected students from El Sistema-inspired programs. Among Claire’s other festival engagements are the Lucerne Festival Academy, Yale School of Music Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Aspen, the New York String Orchestra Seminar, and the Pierre Monteux School. During the 2011-2012 season she served as a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome, Italy.
Under the tutelage of the LA Chamber Orchestra’s former principal oboist Allan Vogel, Claire received an Artist Diploma from The Colburn School. At Bard College and Conservatory she earned a triple major with a Bachelor of Arts in East-Asian studies and piano performance, and a Bachelor of Music in oboe performance. Her principal teachers at Bard were Laura Ahlbeck and Elaine Douvas; she studied piano with Blair McMillen.
Claire loves connecting with audiences on social media platforms and actively curates her Instagram page with concert clips, upcoming performance information, and pictures. To follow, please visit @oboejones.