Brogadir, Benjamin

Oboe/English Horn

A native of San Diego, California, Benjamin Brogadir joined the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in 2024, holding the position of English horn. Prior to joining the San Francisco Opera, he held the same position with the Oregon Symphony during their 2023/2024 season. In high demand on both oboe and English horn, he has occupied the principal oboe chair of the Berkely Symphony since 2022, as well as making numerous appearances as a guest musician with the San Francisco Symphony, the London Symphony Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony and the Pacific Symphony. This also includes performances as guest principal oboe with the San Francisco Symphony during their 2022 summer season. Brogadir served as principal oboe of the 2021 Ojai Festival Orchestra and has participated in numerous international music festivals, including the Oregon Bach Festival, the Pacific Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West, the Aspen Music Festival, Music from Angel Fire, the Colorado College Music Festival and the National Orchestral Institute.

In the International Double Reed Society's 2021 Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox Oboe competition, Brogadir, being the only American candidate, was one of five finalists and received an honorable mention. As a chamber musician, he collaborated with globally esteemed artists such as Emanuel Ax, Andy Akiho, James Conlon, David Geber, Karyn Dreyfus, Nokuthula Ngwenyama and Pedja Mužijević.

A graduate of the Colburn Conservatory, he received his Bachelor of Music degree studying under the second oboist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Anne Marie Gabriele and former principal oboist, Ariana Ghez. Brogadir went on to receive a Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the mentorship of Eugene Izotov, principal oboe of the San Francisco Symphony. His other principal teachers include San Francisco Opera principal oboe, Mingjia Liu, San Diego Symphony English horn, Andrea Overturf and Daniel Stolper, the former instructor of oboe at the Interlochen Arts Academy.