John Hammarback joins the Winston-Salem Symphony as Principal Oboe November 2010. John began oboe studies with John Ellis at the UNC School of the Arts at age twelve. He stayed at UNCSA through high school and the first two years of undergraduate studies and then transferred to New York's Stony Brook University to complete his under-graduate degree studying  with Stephen Taylor (Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; Yale faculty) and Pedro Diaz (Solo English Horn with the Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera; Juilliard Faculty).

While at Stony Brook, John was principal oboe with the University Orchestra, the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra and Contemporary Chamber Players.  In 2008 and 2009 he won the concerto competition.  In May 2009, he was awarded the Elizabeth Ball Kurz Music Award in which Dr. Perry Goldstein stated, "..in his time here, he has distinguished himself as one of the finest, perhaps the finest, wind player to ever grace our undergraduate program." 

John went on to graduate studies with John Snow at the University of Minnesota, performing the Mozart Oboe Concerto with the U of M Symphony Orchestra as the concerto winner in March of 2010.
Summer Fellowships and festivals include the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival and Panama Double Reed Festival.

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