Breana Gilcher

Bio

Breana Gilcher, MT-BC is an oboist, educator, improviser, and board-certified Music Therapist based in Los Angeles. She performs throughout California in a variety of musical settings, playing classical orchestral music with groups such as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, LA Opera, Santa Barbara Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, and Fresno Philharmonic, new music with wild Up contemporary music collective, WasteLAnd new music, Ghost Ensemble, and Jacaranda Music, as well as historic performance with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. Passionate about improvisation, Breana frequently performs in improvised settings, including her own electroacoustic chamber ensemble Petrichor, which was invited to perform at the 2019 International Society for Improvised Music Festival and Conference. As a soloist she won second prize in the Riverside Philharmonic’s 2018 Concerto Competition for her performance of Vaughan Williams’ Concerto for Oboe and Strings. Breana also works extensively as a studio musician, contributing to scores for film and television. 

Breana holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy with specialized studies in Oboe Performance from Florida State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Oboe Performance from California Institute of the Arts. Her primary teachers were Dr. Eric Ohlsson and Dr. Allan Vogel, respectively. She has pursued additional studies of English horn with Carolyn Hove, Baroque oboe with Gonzalo Ruiz, and improvisation with Vinny Golia.

A dedicated educator, Breana maintains a private teaching studio in addition to her work at UC Santa Barbara. She is a certified Personal Trainer with a passion for helping artists prevent and care for performance-related injuries. As a board-certified Music Therapist with the American Music Therapy Association, Breana has provided care for children with developmental disabilities, patients with Multiple Sclerosis, and the elderly, including a six-month clinical internship with Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee, FL.