A man sitting on outdoor stairs holding a clarinet, with a red bicycle parked nearby, in a neighborhood with brick buildings and a church steeple in the background.

Luca de la Florin

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, I was always captivated by music, especially motion picture scores. My musical beginnings had me cycling through multiple instruments - it seems I wanted to play everything: Percussion, Trumpet, Saxophones, Clarinets, Horn, etc. I “met” the oboe when I graduated high school and went to college, a very late start for most oboists! I worked for the Adrian Symphony Orchestra in Michigan as stage crew operating the light and sound booth. I was at every rehearsal and performance and I fell in love with the oboe and needed to learn it, not thinking it would ever amount to anything professional. But, as history would have it, the second I played the oboe, I fell in love!

My journey continued as I was determined to improve my oboe playing. I received my degrees in Oboe Performance from Albion College and Western Michigan University studying with Rebecca Van de Ven, Michael Miller, and Gabriel Renteria-Elyea. I moved to Utah to continue studies at The University of Utah studying with Robert Stephenson.

In my ten years living in Utah I have been fortunate to work with many of Utah’s greatest musical organizations and institutions. I am currently on faculty at Utah Valley University, Snow College, and the Gifted Music School. Additionally, I lecture with the University of Utah’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in collaboration with The Utah Symphony. I have a large private studio full of wonderful students of all ages who I am so lucky to work with weekly!

I think of my career as two halves: Teaching and Performance. My performing in Utah has allowed me to work with countless colleagues in venues all over the state! You may have seen me on stage with ensembles such as:

The Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

Utah Chamber Artists

Aspen Winds

Ballet West

Sinfonia Salt Lake

Salt Lake Choral Artists

Park City Opera

Utah Metropolitan Ballet

Chamber Orchestra Ogden

Cache Valley Civic Ballet

Salt Lake Symphony

Timpanogos Symphony

Prevailing Winds

NEXT Ensemble

I am currently principal oboe with The Missouri Symphony, Sinfonia Salt Lake, Aspen Winds, and acting principal oboe with the Great Falls Symphony in Montana. Music will take you around the world, so my advice is to enjoy the journey and the adventure; never stop learning and growing; and most importantly - have fun!