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Marianne Osiel

She talks to trees, and they talk back....

About Me

Marianne Osiel's musical journey is truly a unique one. She took her first piano lesson at the age of five, in her home town of Santa Barbara, CA. At nine years old, she began playing guitar, added flute a year later, and at age 13 began studying the oboe. At age 15, she began more serious studies at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, majoring in oboe and minoring in voice. At 17, she was only high school oboist in the country selected to attend the Cleveland Institute Of Music, where she studied under John Mack. She secured her first orchestra chair with the Santa Barbara Symphony in 1977, and stayed on for two years. Studying at the San Francisco Conservatory (on full scholarship), she moved to Nashville, where she was a full- time member of the Nashville Symphony for ten years. During that time she was also a first-call session player, appearing on hundreds of recordings. While in Nashville, Marianne blossomed as a singer- songwriter, often playing as a solo artist “in the round” at the Bluebird Café, or leading one of her bands, the Delta Elements, at 12th & Porter or Ace of Clubs. In fall of 1998, Marianne moved to New York, performing in clubs in the Northeast. In 1998 and 1999, she played Mainstage at Kerrville Folk Festival. From 2000–2002, she toured the country as a member of the John Hall Band, playing acoustic guitar, slide, and oboe, opening most of these shows with a solo set of original material. On stage, Marianne consistently delivers powerful, honest, and convincing performances, whether as a solo artist or with her band. During the years she was with the Nashville Symphony, she lead her own band, the “Delta Elements”. Additionally, she has performed as a “sideman” for other artists, including John Hall (Orleans), Jo-el Sonnier, Ashley Cleveland, Rachel Sage, and others, with slide guitar, voice and oboe. She has written and recorded string quartet arrangements for songwriters who recognize her ability to weave in and out of a lyric, most notably on David Olney’s “Through A Glass Darkly” CD (1997). Marianne’s own recordings as singer- songwriter-arranger include “Strange Girl”, and “Full of Wholes I and II”. A later recording, “How The Light Gets In”, features Marianne on oboe and English horn in improvised duets with four dynamically different keyboardists from the New York area (Jordan Rudess, Denman Maroney, John Simon, and Bob Barrows), as well as two live albums. Marianne was invited to become part of the “Creative Improvisers Orchestra” (now in Kingston) in 2023 by Maestro Karl Berger. She is also excited to be part of the Woodstock Soundpainting group “Audiocanvas” that includes Steve Rust, Rick Warren, and other notable New York improvisors. Most recently, Marianne was chosen to play English horn in a new quartet lead by bassist Michael Bisio, whose record, ”NuMBq” (also the name of the group) just came out in February 2025 on Mahakala Records.

My Jazz Story

My House Concert Story

Just tried to save a whole shitload that I just wrote and it didn't go through damn it! Have to try some other time. Life is jazz! Jazz is life!