Virginia Kao
Oboe
Instruments:
Oboe
Style:Classical
Education:Cleveland Institute of Music: Professional Studies Diploma in Oboe Performance – 2024
Cleveland Institute of Music: Artist Diploma in Oboe Performance – 2022
San Francisco Conservatory of Music: M.M. in Oboe Performance – 2019
Princeton University: B.A. in Music cum laude, Certificate in Music Performance – 2002
A native of New Jersey, Virginia Kao is a dedicated oboe teacher and orchestral and chamber musician. She has enjoyed performing in traditional and contemporary ensembles around the country, including the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival, BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Notturna, CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Haddonfield Symphony (now Symphony in C), Mansfield Symphony, and Youngstown Symphony. She also has performed as a soloist with CityMusic Chamber Orchestra and Camerata Notturna, as well as participated in the Kent Blossom, Domaine Forget, and Hidden Valley music festivals.
Virginia is passionate about sharing her knowledge of music and the oboe with students of all ages and levels. In addition to the Aurora School of Music, she teaches at the Baldwin Wallace Community Arts School, regional middle schools, and maintains a private studio. Virginia earned her Artist Diploma and Professional Studies Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Princeton University. Her major teachers include Jeffrey Rathbun, Russell deLuna, Mingjia Liu, Christopher Gaudi, and Louis Rosenblatt.
Between her undergraduate and graduate studies, Virginia worked as an intellectual property paralegal at law firms and Fortune 100 companies in New York City for over a decade. She is excited and grateful to follow her passion in music. When not making reeds, Virginia enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband and two dogs.