Joseph Wenda is an active performer, avid educator, and adventurous arranger. He strives for individuality in style and programming; recitals often include works by living composers, original performing editions of older works, and original chamber transcriptions. His dissertation, “Two Chamber Transcriptions Featuring the Oboe from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59,” takes two of the most well-known scenes from the work out of the opera house and onto the small stage.

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Dr. Wenda has performed recently with the Oregon Symphony, Rogue Valley Symphony, Eugene Symphony, Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Bozeman Symphony, Oregon Mozart Players, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Painted Sky Opera, TACTUS Chamber Ensemble, Gulfshore Opera, and more. Recent solo performances include Mozart’s Concerto for Oboe with Naples Orchestra and Chorus and Quiet City by Aaron Copland with the NorCal Music Festival Orchestra. He will be featured this year as Principal Oboe of the Rogue Valley Symphony (Ashland, OR) and as a soloist with Chamber Music Amici (Eugene, OR). 

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Dr. Wenda was the Assistant Professor of Oboe at the Oklahoma City University from 2019 to 2021. In August of 2021, he moved to Eugene, Oregon with his wife, Dr. Camille Ortiz, where he continues his teaching, performing, and reed-making pursuits as "The Reed Whisperer".

 

Dr. Wenda spent his childhood in Yakima, Washington, and earned his undergraduate degree from Central Washington University with Brent Hages. He earned his master’s at the Pennsylvania State University with Timothy Hurtz and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Miami – Frost School of Music with Robert Weiner.