I recently returned from Panamá City where I was teaching and performing as part of the 4th annual Double Reed Festival of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. This was my second time at the festival having participated in last year’s event. The festival is a true labor of love for the many people involved. It is a five day event that consists of master classes, reed making workshops, recitals and a gala concert at the end with bassoon and oboe soloists performing with the National Symphony of Panamá. This year’s teachers were oboists Alex Klein and Doris DeLoach, myself and repairman Jorge Valenzuela. Alex Klein has served as the festival’s main oboe teacher each of the four years of the festival and his unending energy is inspiring and infectious. It was wonderful to meet maestra DeLoach and get to work with her for the first time. Juan Castillo, the event’s founder again worked tirelessly to give the bassoon and oboe students of Latin American this incredible opportunity. Some photos here of this and last year’s festival.

Program of the gala concert:

• Devin Tiboche, oboe; Arturo Rey Sanchez, violin: Concerto for Oboe and Violin of J.S. Bach
• James Hansen: Concerto in a minor for Bassoon and Orchestra of A. Vivaldi
• Doris DeLoach: Concerto for Oboe and Strings of De Domenico Cimarosa
• Juan Castillo: Concerto for Oboe and Strings in d minor of J.S. Bach
• Saxton Rose: Ciranda para fagot y orquesta de cuerdas of H. Villa-Lobos
• Alex Klein: Concerto for Oboe and Strings in c minor of A. Vivaldi