Kip Zimmerman Appointed Associate Principal Oboe of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Congratulations to Kip Zimmerman (’20) on his appointment as associate principal oboe of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, beginning in the 2026–27 season. He will occupy the Farla and Harvey Chet Krentzman chair, succeeding Keisuke Wakao, who retires at the end of the 2026 Tanglewood season after 36 years.
“Kip Zimmerman is an exceptional musician, whose artistry and dedication to his craft stood out to us immediately,” says BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons. “I am confident Kip will build on [Keisuke’s] legacy, while bringing his own unique voice and musical personality to the orchestra.”
With this appointment, Zimmerman also becomes principal oboe of the Boston Pops.
About Kip Zimmerman
Zimmerman has performed with ensembles including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. A winner of the 2016 International Double Reed Society Young Artist Competition, he has also performed with NYO-USA and the Verbier Festival Orchestra, and studied with Richard Woodhams at Curtis, John Ferrillo at the New England Conservatory, and Robert Walters at Oberlin. Beyond performing, Zimmerman brings a uniquely hands-on perspective to his work as an oboist through a decade-long collaboration and apprenticeship with oboe makers Covey and Ramsay. He now performs on instruments of his own design and construction, as well as restorations of exceptional early-20th-century oboes.
