Robert Burks is Principal Oboist of the CSO Orchestra and Oboist of the CSO Wind Quintet. He was born and raised in Oklahoma and began formal training on the oboe at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music with Richard Woodhams, now Principal Oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. While in St. Louis he played in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Leonard Slatkin. He then was accepted at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied oboe with John Mack, Principal Oboist of the Cleveland Orchestra.
After graduating from the Cleveland Institute he performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. In 1981 he moved to Chattanooga as Principal Oboist of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Burks has performed numerous times with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, recently participating in a recording of Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler (Yoel Levi, Conductor). He also has recorded for the RCA Studios in Nashville. Mr. Burks teaches oboe in several area colleges and is a member of the Local 80 Musicians Union Board.
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School of Music Lee University 1130 Parker St NE Cleveland, TN 37320-3450 Tel: 423-614-8240 Fax: 423-614-8242 musicauditions@ leeuniversity.edu
Associate Professor of Music