Washington Barella is an internationally renowned oboist and professor whose career is marked both by outstanding solo performances and a long-standing commitment to teaching. He began his musical education in 1972 in his home country, Brazil. From 1984 to 1986, he studied with Ingo Goritzki at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hanover, and from 1988 to 1990, he continued his studies at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford (USA) with Humbert Lucarelli.
From 1981 to 1983 and again from 1987 to 1988, he was principal oboist of the Campinas Symphony Orchestra in Brazil. Between 1990 and 1992, he held the same position with the Atlantic Sinfonietta in New York. From 1992 to 2016, Washington Barella served as principal oboist of the SWR Symphony Orchestra of Baden-Baden and Freiburg, one of Germany’s leading ensembles. Alongside his orchestral career, he has always been deeply involved in training the next generation of musicians. In 2010, he was appointed lecturer at the Cologne University of Music and Dance, and in 2012, he was appointed professor at the Berlin University of the Arts.
Today, Washington Barella is considered one of the leading oboists of his time, combining technical mastery, artistic sensitivity, and pedagogical dedication. His work has had a lasting impact on the international oboe scene and on the development of young musicians.
In 1991, he won third prize at the ARD International Music Competition. Since then, he has performed as a soloist with major orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Symphony Orchestra, the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, the Savannah Symphony, and the Annapolis Symphony in the United States, as well as with numerous orchestras in Brazil.