Alyssa Morris has delighted audiences around the world with her “exceptional” and “soulful” musicianship (Fanfare.) American Record Guide describes her playing as “stunning,” exhibiting “unmistakable…virtuosity.” Alyssa serves as Assistant Professor of Oboe and Music Theory at Kansas State University, and as the principal oboist of the Topeka Symphony Orchestra and Wichita Grand Opera.  She has appeared as a soloist in venues throughout the United States, Scandinavia, the British Isles, and Western Europe. She performed as a concerto soloist at the Kennedy Center, and as a recitalist at the 2014, 2016, and 2018 International Double Reed (IDRS) Conventions in New York City, Columbus, Georgia, and Granada, Spain.  Alyssa previously held the position of associate principal oboe in the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and 2nd oboe in the Utah Wind Symphony. She has additionally performed with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the Cincinnati Bach Ensemble, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, the Utah Baroque Ensemble, and the Utah Lyric Opera.

Regarding her equally expansive work as a composer, Alyssa’s chamber music is performed extensively around the world. Her music has been presented at several International Double Reed Conventions, the National Flute Association Convention, the National Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest, and the Society of Composers Inc. National Convention. Alyssa has been commissioned to write music for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the U.S. Air Force Woodwind Quintet, the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Dr. Mark Ostoich (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music), the Sundance Trio (Brigham Young University), and Carolyn Hove (principal English horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic), to name a few. She was a recipient of an International Barlow Composition Commission, and she is the Composer-In-Residence for the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra’s 2020-2021 season. Alyssa’s music has been recorded on the Equilibrium, Centaur, Tantara, Blue Griffin, and MSR Classics labels.  Alyssa recently recorded her own album of her music through MSR Classics, titled “A Higher Place, Chamber Music for Oboe.” Fanfare magazine writes the following about her album “A Higher Place:”

“Alyssa Morris…brings something that we don’t always hear in the music of our time–wit. Add to this a true melodic gift, an ability to evoke a range of moods, and a strong imagination, and the result is a composer whose music is gratifying even on repeated hearings.”

Alyssa earned her BM and MM degrees in oboe performance at Brigham Young University, where she studied with Dr. Geralyn Giovannetti.  She earned her DMA in oboe performance with a cognate in composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she studied with Dr. Mark Ostoich, Dwight Parry, and Lon Bussell.

Website: http://alyssamorrismusic.com/bio