Izaiah Cheeran Featured on WHYY’s “On Stage at Curtis”
“The legacy that Curtis has had over these 100 years is so profound, and I’m just so grateful that I can be a part of that and forge my own path through this.” —Izaiah Cheeran
Season 19 of WHYY’s acclaimed On Stage at Curtis continues with a portrait of Izaiah Cheeran. The prize-winning oboe student and Minnesota native entered Curtis Institute of Music in 2022 and studies oboe with Katherine Needleman (’99) and Philippe Tondre as a Curtis Institute of Music Fellow. Before Curtis, Mr. Cheeran studied with Dr. Carrie Vecchione and Cassie Pilgrim (’18).
A two-time first prize winner of the Thursday Musical Young Artist Competition, he is also a two-time finalist and award recipient of the concerto competition held by the Young People’s Symphony Concert Association of the Minnesota Orchestra. He recently received first prize in the Schubert Club Bruce P. Carlson Young Artist Competition. As a soloist, Mr. Cheeran has participated in numerous master classes and has been a featured artist with the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies, where he served as principal oboe. In the summer of 2022, he became a member of Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America which included a two-week residency at SUNY Purchase, a performance at Carnegie Hall, and a European tour to Amsterdam, Naples, Berlin, and Lucerne.
Click HERE to watch the On Stage at Curtis episode or click the video below.
In this episode of On Stage at Curtis, oboist Izaiah Cheeran reveals how he’s reshaping the role of the classical musician for the 21st century. A vibrant and inquisitive artist of Indian descent, he grew up immersed in a wide range of musical styles—from classical to pop and musical theater—while exploring multiple instruments. Drawn to the oboe for its distinctiveness and challenge, he credits a childhood shaped by both creativity and discipline for his early success. His parents—an office manager at Great Clips’ corporate office and a professor and associate dean at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine—encouraged him to pursue music while remaining grounded in academics. Guided by early performance experiences and mentorship from teachers linked to the Curtis Institute of Music, Mr. Cheeran was inspired to audition and ultimately join the school, eager to contribute to its rich legacy.
Though just 18, Mr. Cheeran is already envisioning his future in classical music and his place within the industry. He values flexibility, humility, and creativity—qualities he believes define the most compelling performers. While his dream is to become a principal oboist in a major orchestra and give a solo recital at Carnegie Hall, he is equally passionate about chamber music, solo work, and recording. Inspired by artists like Reena Esmail, who bridges Hindustani and Western classical traditions, and the woodwind players of the Berlin Philharmonic, he is dedicated to forging a path that connects cultures and communities. His advice to other young musicians is simple but powerful: stay open, keep learning, and most importantly, make it fun.
Live performances featured in the episode include Nadiya for oboe and viola by Reena Esmail, and Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs, Op. 79, by French composer and organist Camille Saint-Saëns.
