About Me

Hi there! I'm Dash Wilson, a composer, oboist, and pianist from Chicago. My musical journey kicked off with piano lessons when I was three. Since then, I've picked up harp, oboe, and even started learning flute! These days, most of my time is devoted to playing oboe – I’m proud to serve as first chair for the Victor J. Andrew Wind Symphony, oboist and English horn player with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) Philharmonic and chamber ensemble, and jazz pianist for the VJA High School Jazz Ensemble.

Composing became a big part of my life when I joined the CYSO Composition Seminar in 2022. Since then, I’ve had the chance to study under Eric Malmquist and work on music theory with Dr. Mario Pelusi. I’ve also been fortunate to take composition lessons with Grammy-nominated Shane Adams and the late Robert W. Smith. I’ve participated in master classes and one-on-one mentoring with Hollywood composers like Pinar Toprak, Harry Gregson-Williams, Joey Newman, and Gordy Haab. One of the most exciting experiences was spending a week with Ryan Shore, (three-time Emmy-winning composer and nephew of Lord of the Rings composer Howard Shore), who coached me on scoring a Star Wars video game project as part of Berklee’s Film, TV, and Video Game Scoring Program in Los Angeles at the Colburn School of Music.

As a performer, I've had the privilege to work with incredible conductors, teachers, and coaches, including Allen Tinkham, Kenny Lee, Michael Mascari, Zachary Good, Ben Roidl-Ward, Mark Iwinski, Anna Velzo, and Laura Hoffman. Their guidance has shaped the way I approach music, both as a performer and a composer.

In 2025, I’m thrilled to debut a new composition for the VJA Wind Symphony. I’ve also had works performed by ensembles like 5th Wave Collective and CYSO, and I’m honored to have received awards like “Artist of the Year 2023” from the International Youth Music Competition.