Toyin Spellman-Diaz

Oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz grew up surrounded by her parent’s enormous record collection in Washington, D.C. It was there she absorbed the many layers of classical music’s beauty and the inspiring and uniting potential of the world’s diverse cultural landscape.

Ms. Spellman-Diaz earned her bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and her master’s and professional studies degrees from Manhattan School of Music. Her orchestral career includes performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

Hailed by the Washington Post for her “smooth, controlled tone and excellent technique,” she has performed concertos with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Manhattan Virtuosi, and the Kennedy Center Youth Orchestra.

An original member of Imani Winds, Ms. Spellman-Diaz has built her career as a champion of contemporary chamber music. Along with her Imani Winds colleagues, she is devoted to discovering new and diverse musical voices and cultures to increase and enhance the woodwind quintet repertoire. She has also collaborated with some of today’s most influential chamber music ensembles, including Alarm Will Sound, the Antara Ensemble, and Camerata Pacifica. Ms. Spellman-Diaz teaches at Brooklyn College and NYU Steinhardt, and currently serves on the board of directors of the American Composers Orchestra.

Ms. Spellman-Diaz joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2021.