Gary Woodward

Gary Woodward brings to the Biola Conservatory a wealth of experience, knowledge and wisdom gleaned from a multifaceted career at the highest level of performance in orchestral, chamber music, commercial recording and musical theater.

Highlights of his over forty-year career as one of Los Angeles’s most respected freelance flutists include 25 seasons as the principal flutist of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, and performances as principal with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Orange County Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony, American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, and the Bolshoi and Kirov ballet companies from Russia.

Woodward has played countless scores written by the top motion picture and television composers at all of the major recording studios. He has also played in orchestras for over a dozen first-class musical theater productions.

Woodward began teaching the flute at age 16 and took his first university position at age 26 at UC Santa Barbara. He recently left his 31-year position at the University of Southern California to devote his time and energy to his students at Biola, Azusa Pacific University and The Master’s University. He teaches each summer at Northern California Flute Camp and joins the faculty this summer at Credo Flute. He also serves as the choir director at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church.

Woodward holds degrees in music from the University of Southern California and Chapman University, where his principal teachers were Roger Stevens and Arthur Hoberman. Edna Comerchero was his beloved teacher through high school in his native Sacramento. He studied extensively in the master classes of world-renowned flutists Julius Baker, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Marcel Moyse and Maxence Larrieu.