Shawn Hutchison
oboe
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Alma maters: University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, B.M.; Yale School of Music, M.M.
Photo by Matt Dine
Awards/Competitions
Presser Foundation Graduate Award; Marcel J. Dandois Memorial Prize in Oboe
Appearances
Bowdoin International Music Festival, 2018–19; Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Indiana, 2016
What is your earliest memory of classical music?
I remember being captivated by the film scores of John Williams and Howard Shore from a very early age.
When did you realize you wanted to pursue music as a career?
I came to this realization soon after I started learning the oboe as a child.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
I find inspiration—in equal parts and with great admiration—in the teachers who have helped me along the way: Ayca Yayman, Dr. Mark Ostoich, Dwight Parry, Christopher Philpotts, and Stephen Taylor.
Which composer or genre of music do you feel you connect with the most?
J.S. Bach
What is your favorite piece of music, and why do you love it?
It’s incredibly difficult to narrow to one choice, but I do reserve a special spot for the Goldberg Variations. The work represents the height of musical creativity and invention, and my life is continually enriched every time I play them or sit to listen to a favorite recording.
What is some advice you would give to your younger self?
Go make more reeds.
Favorite non-classical musician or band
Radiohead
If you could play another instrument, what would it be?
Cello
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
Psychiatry
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to and why?
The Netherlands. I found the open cultural atmosphere, the great artistic institutions, and the welcoming nature of its people to be refreshing.
Which three people, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with and why?
Siddhārtha Gautama, Marcel Tabuteau, and W.A. Mozart. I think the conversation would have both great depth and levity.