Oboe & English Horn ‡

A San Francisco native, Janet grew up with a love of music and melody that developed from her exposure to the vibrant folk, rock & pop music so prevalent in the City in the 1960’s. 

Though folk rock was her first love, Janet crossed over to Classical music when she began to play the oboe in jr. high school, adding the English Horn in high school. In college she attended the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Marc Lifschey and Adrian Gnam were her principal oboe instructors.

Janet was a fellowship participant at the Yale at Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and the Tanglewood Music Festival and has also participated in the Aspen Music Festival and the Elkhorn at Sun Valley, Idaho music festivals. For 12 summers, she was Co-Principal Oboe of the Lake Tahoe Summer Music Festival Orchestra.

Prior to winning her position of Third Oboe/Solo English Horn with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Janet toured the United States for 5 national tours as Principal Oboe of the Western Opera Theater Orchestra, the touring affiliate of the San Francisco Opera, visiting and/or performing in all but four states. For 22 years she was a member of the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Preparatory/Adult Extension (now Pre College) department and she has also been a member of the music faculty at both San Francisco State University and the University of CA, Santa Cruz.

Janet’s recording credits include the film soundtracks for Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Ricochet, the TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and the Grammy-nominated CD of Gluck’s Orphee & Eurydice with the San Francisco Opera.

When not chained to her reed making desk, Janet likes to run and enjoys the outdoors and supporting the John Muir Land Trust. Her chamber music group, the Lowell Ensemble (formerly the Lowell Trio) features a rotating group of notable Bay Area musicians performing an eclectic mix of Classical, Folk and Film music. The Lowell Ensemble performs regularly throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in venues ranging from formal concert halls to funky music clubs.

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‡ leave of absence