Oboe and Woodwinds
Oboe and Woodwinds
Starting as one of the only kids to make a sound on the oboe reed, Kaden Klein made the bold decision to choose the oboe at age 11 and then kept adding instruments every school year since. These days, he is seen primarily playing oboe and English horn, and also clarinet and tenor saxophone. Kaden is also seen composing, arranging, and playing other woodwinds around State College, Pennsylvania and Madison, Wisconsin. He is currently in his second year of his Master's at Penn State University as the Graduate Oboe Teaching Assistant, studying oboe with Andreas Oeste. He received his B.M. in Multiple Woodwinds (Oboe, Clarinet, and Sax) at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, studying oboe with Nancy Ambrose King. Kaden holds a special place for video game soundtracks, musical theatre, premiering new music, and performing genres outside of classical music.
Kaden Klein is an oboist, composer, arranger, and multi-woodwind player based in State College, Pennsylvania and Madison, WI. He is currently pursuing his Master's in Oboe Performance at Penn State University as the Graduate Oboe Teaching Assistant, studying oboe with Andreas Oeste. At the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, he received his B.M. in Multiple Woodwinds (Oboe, Clarinet, and Saxophone). Kaden's former teachers include: oboe with Nancy Ambrose King, clarinet with Daniel Gilbert and Nathan Rodriguez, classical saxophone with Walt Puyear, and jazz saxophone with Andrew Bishop. In particular, Kaden holds a special place for video game soundtracks, musical theatre, premiering new music, and performing genres outside of classical music.
Kaden has performed in various ensembles at the University of Michigan and Penn State University, including the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, as well as the University of Michigan Symphony Band and Orchestra. Additionally, he has performed in shows with Penn State University's School of Theatre playing in Trampoline (premiered in 2025) and University of Michigan Department of Musical Theatre on productions of A Little Night Music, Guys and Dolls, and Bernarda Alba, playing various combinations of oboe, English horn, clarinet, and tenor saxophone. He also plays in various ensembles in the State College Area, including the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, Nittany Valley Symphony, and the Graduate Woodwind Quintet at Penn State.
In 2025, Kaden attended the Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, playing for and taking lessons with Keve Wilson and Jared Hauser. In 2023, Kaden attended Domaine Forget de Charlevoix's New Music Festival in Saint-Irénée, Quebec, the Akropolis Chamber Music Institute in Bay View, MI, and the University of Michigan's NYC Broadway Immersion Trip, where he took lessons with professional Broadway musician, Rick Heckman, on woodwind doubling. In 2022, Kaden attended the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival, participating in masterclasses for Toyin Spellman-Diaz and Pedro Díaz. He has also performed in masterclasses for Johanna Cox Pennington, Cynthia Anderson, Jung Choi, Hassan Anderson, Colin Maier, and Tim Gocklin. Besides studying woodwinds, Kaden is an avid retro video game collector and enjoys thrift shopping in his free time.
Primary Instruments: Oboe and English Horn
Secondary Instruments: B-flat Clarinet, E-flat Clarinet*, and Bass Clarinet*, Tenor Sax, Oboe D'Amore*, and Bass Oboe*
*Advance notice needed
Creating arrangements of popular, movie, and video game music for a variety of ensembles
Proficient in Finale Software
Familiar with editing/proofreading small to large scores
Can transcribe music of your choosing
Experience with typesetting handwritten scores into Finale software
Contact for inquiry and pricing