Graham Mackenzie

Graham Mackenzie

Principal Oboe

Principal Oboe Chair supported by Mari Shantz & Stephen Bedford

Dr. Graham Mackenzie is principal oboist of the Niagara Symphony, London Symphonia, and Windsor Symphony, and has performed as guest principal oboist with the Montreal Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and Brantford Symphony orchestras. He has also appeared with orchestras in Chicago, Hamilton, Indianapolis, and Toronto. He has been a member of the Tanglewood Music Centre, Music Academy of the West, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, National Repertory Orchestra, National Academy Orchestra of Canada, l’Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadienne, the Banff Centre, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Equally at home as a soloist, he has performed concertos by Bach, Marcello, Martinů, Mozart, Strauss, Vaughan-Williams, and Vivaldi with the Hamilton Philharmonic, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, London Symphonia, Niagara Symphony, and Windsor Symphony, among others. An avid chamber musician, he is a founding member of the Reed Minders Duo, Stonebridge Wind Quintet, and Trio Pistachio, and has performed in many Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society concerts as well as the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. In the contemporary music realm, he has performed with Soundstreams, New Music Concerts Toronto, and the Continuum New Music Ensemble.

A passionate teacher, he has served as oboe faculty at Stephen F. Austin State University and Wilfrid Laurier University, and has conducted master classes at the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, National Academy Orchestra, Penn State University, Ohio State University, University of Victoria, University of Western Ontario, West Virginia University, and Kenyon College.  He has also presented at conferences of the International Double Reed Society, Texas Music Educators’ Association, Pennsylvania Music Educators’ Association, Ohio Music Educators’ Association, and National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors.

Dr. Mackenzie holds a Doctor of Music from Indiana University, studying with Linda Strommen and Roger Roe.  He also earned a Master of Music from DePaul University, studying with Eugene Izotov, and a Bachelor of Music from Wilfrid Laurier University, studying with James Mason and Richard Dorsey.

When he’s not performing, he enjoys raising his son Jasper, table tennis, board games, and making music with his wife Dr. Margaret P. Fay, who is a bassoonist.