Donald Oehler - Artistic Director
Donald Oehler has drawn high praise as a clarinet soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and educator. He has performed and taught throughout the United States, Central America, Canada, Great Britain, Eastern and Western Europe, and the Middle East.
Mr. Oehler focuses the greatest part of his energies on performing, directing, and teaching chamber music.
Since joining UNC, he has performed regularly with St. Stephen's Chamber Orchestra, the Mallarmé Chamber Players, The Carolina Wind Quintet, and Sonsa.
He has also appeared with numerous string quartets: the Haydn Quartet; Chester Quartet; Ciompi Quartet; the North Carolina String Quartet; and the North Carolina Symphony String Quartet. International chamber performances have included the Bartok Festival in Szombathely, Hungary, and the International Clarinet Festival in Ghent, Belgium. He has been heard on Belgium's BRT I and BRT III and Canada's CBC.
He is founder/director of UNC's University Chamber Players, past director of the UNC New Music Ensemble, and founder/member of the Canadian-US wind octet Q'Appelle Winds. He is also co-director and host of Clarinet Chamberfest, a clarinet chamber music performance workshop. He also serves as director of winds and featured performer for MusicFest in Aberystwyth, Wales, and on the faculty of the Utah State Music Festival.
Mr. Oehler began his career as principal clarinet of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Teheran, Iran, and has studied with Joseph Allard, Bernard Portnoy, and Jack Brymer.
Eager to explore all facets of clarinet performance, he was one of the earliest U.S. clarinetists to become active on classical instruments (including basset clarinet), and continues to perform new literature. He recently gave the world premiere of Peter Lieuwen's Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano and the U.S. premiere of Peter Maxwell Davies' Sonata for Clarinet and Piano.
He has also appeared with the North Carolina Symphony, the Handel and Haydn Society (Boston), Banchetto Musicale (Boston), the 18th Century Players (New York), and Ensemble Courant.
For over twenty-five years, Mr. Oehler has placed a priority on his role as educator. A graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, Professor Oehler joined the University of North Carolina faculty in 1971. He directs Chapel Hill Chamber Music, the Cours International de Musique, and coordinates the UNC Canterbury Christ Church University College exchange program in music. In addition to all his other activities, he has developed a highly respected clarinet studio; has been conductor of both high school bands and youth orchestras; and serves the community as conductor of the Village Orchestra.
Jennifer Cox Bell -
Workshop Coordinator
Jennifer Cox Bell, program coordinator for the Chapel Hill Chamber Music Workshop, is with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an Assistant Director of Admissions. She is a graduate of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM in performance and cognate in arts administration) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BM and MAT). Jennifer has studied and performed chamber music with the UNC Chamber Players and at the Cours International de Musique in Switzerland. She continues to perform as a member of the Carolina Wind Orchestra and maintains a private clarinet studio in the Triangle area.
Michelle Hall -
Workshop Librarian
Michelle Hall, Workshop librarian, is a legislative assistant to Representative Alice Bordsen in the North Carolina General Assembly. In 2005, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelors degree in both music and political science. Michelle has been an active chamber musician as a member of the UNC Chamber Players and in numerous solo and chamber music settings. She attended the Cours International de Musique in Switzerland for chamber music performance. In addition to her studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Michelle studied in London with Janet Hilton, director of winds at the Royal College of Music. Michelle continues to stay active as a musician and clarinetist and also teaches privately in the Triangle area.
