Alex Klein - oboe
Alex Klein has won numerous music competitions in Tokyo, Geneva and Brazil. In 1995, he was selected by Daniel Barenboim as principal oboe of the prestigious Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has been a guest of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chicago Symphonietta. He is the honorary hauboist of the best oboe maker in the world: Lorée in Paris. He received the 2002 Grammy Award for his performance with Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony of Strauss' Oboe Concerto. He also directed the oboe section at the Oberlin-Ohio Conservatory. He has also taught at Northwestern University.
Since leaving the Chicago Symphony for health reasons, Alex has dedicated himself to helping young musicians in Latin America, particularly those from disadvantaged communities. He founded and directs the Santa Catarina Music Festival (FEMUSC). FEMUSC is now the leading school music festival in Latin America.
Alex also directs PRIMA: Programme for Social Inclusion through Music and the Arts, in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. These are orchestras for young people integrated into the public school system. Developed primarily where social instability prevails, PRIMA has eleven youth symphony orchestras, as well as children's orchestras and choirs, involving 2,000 students from 80 public schools.