Academy DMSO at Home Family Concert: All Woodwinds

Amanda Drish Manager of Beginning Strings & Community Connections

Amanda Drish is an educator, violinist, and dedicated leader in the cultivation of the beginning strings community in Des Moines, Iowa. Having performed as soloist in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vienna, and Prague during her time at Coe College, she received her Bachelor of Music in violin performance with secondary instruments in piano and voice. Her mission to explore alternative teaching techniques in classical environments reflects her multifaceted background in jazz and contemporary performance styles. Originally from Washington, IA, Amanda began her education as a violinist from the age of four at the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City, and began piano at age five.

Determined to inspire a wider audience and reach among string players, Ms. Drish’s passion for music education is showcased as she encourages accessibility for students of all backgrounds within her local community. Ms. Drish has applied her registration with the Suzuki Association of the Americas for Suzuki Book 1, and her Teach English as a Foreign Language certification from Oxford Seminars, as the primary teacher for Project Encore. Project Encore is a scholarship program, teaching violin to 40 children with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa. As the manager of Beginning Strings and Community Connections, and Director of Project Encore, she has worked with over 300 students, presenting opportunities that would otherwise not be accessible to these young musicians.

Her interdisciplinary work in continuing Iowa youth string initiatives highlights the value of collaboration to expand and grow a sustainable musical community within central Iowa.

James Blanchard Principal Flute

James Blanchard is the Principal Flutist of the Des Moines Symphony. He joined the ensemble in May 2018. He is a regular guest performer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet of Seattle. Previously, James has played as Guest Principal with the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and as a substitute for the New York Philharmonic. Later in April, James will participate in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Global Academy, which will culminate in chamber and orchestral performances with members of the LSO led by Sir Simon Rattle.

James is a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico. After graduating from the Interlochen Arts Academy, he received his Bachelor of Music degree from Rice University where he studied with Leone Buyse at the Shepherd School of Music. While at Rice, James founded the Prismatics Woodwind Quintet - the ensemble won the bronze medal at the 2015 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition.

After graduating from Rice, James earned his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School where he studied with Robert Langevin. During his time in New York City, James won second prize at the 2017 New York Flute Club Young Artist Competition. He also founded Tangent Winds, another woodwind quintet that also won the bronze medal at the 2018 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition.

James has attended the Aspen Music Festival as a member of the Contemporary Ensemble, the Sarasota Music Festival, the Texas Music Festival, and Music Academy of the West.

James lives in San Jose, California with his partner.

Gregory Oakes Principal Clarinet

Gregory Oakes is an exciting and energetic clarinetist and a passionate champion of the music of our time. From his Carnegie Hall debut with members of Ensemble Intercontemporain and Pierre Boulez to his performances as a member of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Oakes has been praised by critics for his “outstanding performance” (New York Times) and “jazzy flourishes” (Denver Post). American Record Guide says “Oakes is the rare player who has both excellent classical training and a mastery of the otherworldly procedures demanded by non-traditional repertoire,” and Fanfare Magazine lauds the “formidable technical armamentarium at his command.”

A flexible and versatile musician, Mr. Oakes has performed with notable musicians in prestigious venues around the world. He has been a concerto soloist with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Denver Brass, performed with Grammy® Award-winner Terence Blanchard at the Telluride Jazz Festival, and appeared at the Chicago Arts Club. His recordings have been released on Bridge, Centaur, CRI, Gothic, Karnatic Lab Records, and Naxos and broadcast on National Public Radio. His recent CD, Aesthetic Apparatus: Clarinet Chamber Music of Helmut Lachenmann, appears on the New Focus Recordings label.

As a soloist, Mr. Oakes has performed at multiple International Clarinet Association ClarinetFests, the University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium, the New Music Gathering, the International Computer Music Conference, the Crested Butte Chamber Music Festival, Boulder’s Modern Music Festival (M2F), and the Pendulum New Music Series. An international artist, Mr. Oakes has performed frequently in the Netherlands at Amsterdam’s venerable new music hall De IJsbreker, Gaudeamus Music Week, Concerten Tot en Met, the Karnatic Lab concert series, De Badcuyp, STEIM, and Utrecht’s Theatre Kikker. He has been a featured soloist at the prestigious MaerzMusik festival in Berlin. He has also toured Brazil—performing in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, and Campinas—and conducted masterclasses at notable Brazilian universities UnB, UNIRIO, and UNICAMP. He was in residence as a guest artist at the MUPA Festival of Contemporary Music in Bangsaen, Thailand. In the summer, Mr. Oakes is on the faculty of The Cortona Sessions festival for new music in Tuscany, Italy.

Mr. Oakes has been a member of several orchestras including the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Ballet, Central City Opera, and the Colorado Music Festival. He is currently the principal clarinet of the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra. He is also an active chamber musician. As a founding member of the new music and creative arts ensemble Non Sequitur, he has been in residence at Princeton University, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and the Aspen Music Festival. Oakes has also performed as a member of the woodwind quintet Category 5 and the award-winning clarinet quartet Ensemble Syzygy.

Mr. Oakes holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, a master’s degree from DePaul University, and a doctorate from the University of Colorado. His teachers include Bil Jackson, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, and John Bruce Yeh. He has been honored as an Aspen Music Festival Fellow, a Tanglewood Music Festival Fellow, and a Fulbright Scholar Finalist. Mr. Oakes has presented masterclasses at numerous institutions including the University of Michigan, University of California Berkeley, Peabody Conservatory, the Amsterdam Conservatory, and the Aspen Music Festival. He has previously taught at the University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg, MS) and Bemidji State University (Bemidji, MN). Mr. Oakes is on the faculty of Iowa State University (Ames, IA).

Gregory Oakes is a Buffet Group USA and a Vandoren Performing Artist.

Kevin Judge Principal Bassoon

Kevin Judge is a bassoonist committed to bringing a variety of experiences to artistically engaged audiences. Mr. Judge’s work as a performer and teacher has led him to establish an international presence; his orchestral experience has given him the opportunity to perform in Carnegie Hall, Brazil, and France. In addition, he has performed with various orchestras across the country under the direction of Lorin Maazel, Leonard Slatkin, and Larry Rachleff. He is the principal bassoonist of the Des Moines Symphony and performs regularly with the Quad Cities Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, and the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony. He has attended distinguished classical music summer programs, including Music Academy of the West, Castleton, and the Sarasota Music Festival.

Mr. Judge’s passion for teaching has led him to serve on the faculty at Iowa State University. Prior to his appointment at Iowa State, he was awarded the William Akers Endowed Scholarship to pursue a Master of Music degree at Rice University under the tutelage of Benjamin Kamins. While attending the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, he was the Education Outreach Coordinator for the music program, helping elementary students in the Greater Houston Area to better understand classical music in an interactive environment. In 2008, Mr. Judge won first prize in the Iowa Center for the Arts Scholarship Competition at the University of Iowa, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree under the instruction of Benjamin Coelho.

Jennifer Wohlenhaus Principal Oboe

Dr. Jennifer Wohlenhaus is the Principal Oboist of the Des Moines Symphony and oboist with the Polaris Wind Quintet. She performs frequently as a freelance oboist in the Des Moines/Central Iowa area.

In addition to performing, Dr. Wohlenhaus serves on the music faculty at both Drake University and Grinnell College. She is a Teaching Associate at Drake University, where she teaches oboe, bassoon, music theory, and aural skills. She is an Applied Music Associate at Grinnell College, where she teaches oboe and bassoon. Dr. Wohlenhaus also maintains an active private studio of oboe, bassoon, and piano students.

Dr. Wohlenhaus holds a D.M.A. from the University of Iowa, an M.M. from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a B.M. in Applied Music and Music with Elective Studies in Business from Drake University. Her teachers have included Mark Weiger, Jay Light, and John de Lancie.