Rolf Erdahl
Rolf Erdahl is currently Bass Professor at Gustavus Adolphus College and performs widely as the bassist half of OboeBass!, the only professional oboe/bass duo in the world! He has subbed with the Minnesota Orchestra, SPCO, and Duluth Superior Symphony. He will start the 2022-23 season as Principal Bass of the Mankato Symphony.
Rolf informs his teaching with decades of experience a teacher and as solo, chamber, and orchestral performer. He has taught at Gustavus Adolphus College, Luther College, Ball State Univ., Wichita State Univ., Lutheran Summer Music, the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and NC Governor's School. He served as Principal Bass of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and Wichita Symphony Orchestra; Assistant Principal of the Honolulu Symphony, Co-Principal of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and New World Symphony; and member of the Bergen (Norway) Philharmonic, Ft. Wayne Philharmonic, Delaware Symphony and Annapolis Symphony. An avid chamber musician, he has also performed with the Miami Beach Basstet and White Noise Chamber Players.
Rolf was awarded Fulbright and American Scandinavian Foundation grants in support of studies in the music of Edvard Grieg that culminated in his Peabody doctoral dissertation. His OboeBass! duo work has been recognized by commissioning grants from the Harvard Fromm Foundation, Chamber Music America, and the American Composers Forum Jerome Composers Commissioning Program. OboeBass! has also received numerous performing and teaching grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and South Dakota Arts Council. OboeBass! performs recitals and educational programs for all ages and has also made six recordings.
Rolf received his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from The Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, Masters of Music from the University of Minnesota, and BA from St. Olaf College with a concentration in Music History and Literature. His major teacher was Eugene Levinson, former Principal Bass of the New York Philharmonic and Minnesota Orchestra. He has also studied with Peter Lloyd, Chris Brown, Fred Bretschger, James Clute, Paul Ellison, Bruce Bransby, Hal Robinson, Gary Karr, and Stuart Sankey.