Melissa Peña
Assistant Professor of Music
Oboe
Frasier 254
970-351-2673
Oboist Melissa Peña joined the faculty of the University of Northern Colorado in the fall of 2010. She performed as Associate Principal Oboe/English Horn with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra from 2002 until 2010. Prior to joining the New Mexico Symphony, Ms. Peña held oboe positions in the Sarasota Orchestra and the Southwest Florida Symphony. Additionally, Ms. Peña has performed with such organizations as the Kansas City Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Music from Angel Fire, and the Astoria Music Festival, among others. Professor Peña has been featured as a soloist with the New Mexico Symphony and the Southwest Florida Symphony.
Ms. Peña maintains an active performance schedule playing regularly with the Grammy nominated Santa Fe Pro Musica and is a core member of the contemporary music ensemble, Chatter. She is also a regular performing member of the Church of Beethoven, an innovative, weekly chamber concert series in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Peña has served on the faculties of St. Petersburg College (St. Petersburg, Florida) and Mid-America Nazarene University (Olathe, Kansas). She received her Master of Music degree from University of Missouri – Kansas City where she was a student of Barbara Bishop, and her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois, where she studied with Nancy Ambrose-King.