Patrick McFarland

Classical oboe and English horn player. Born in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Attended college in San Jose California. Joined Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 1964, became soloist in 1968.

Patrick McFarland has played with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1964, having held the position of Solo English horn since 1968. Prior to then, he played with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Florida Symphony Orchestra in Orlando. He has produced two English horn CD recordings, "Diversions for English horn" and "Gems for English horn" featuring his playing. Both feature works in various settings with strings, other woodwinds and piano. The latter recording features the Ferlendis/Kraus Concerto for English horn with orchestra. Together with colleagues in the Atlanta Symphony, he has produced a third CD featuring trios for two oboes and English horn; along with his solo performance of the Sonatine for English horn and piano by Pierre Max Dubois.

To be released in the fall of 2008 will be another recording featuring English horn, harpist Elisabeth Remy-Johnson and flutist Christina Smith, both principal colleagues from the Atlanta Symphony. He can also be heard on the many Telarc recordings with the Atlanta Symphony notably the Swan of Tuonela by Sibelius, Music for the Theater by Aaron Copland, the Shostakovitch 8th Symphony and the William Tell Overture by Rossini.

Besides music, Pat also enjoys big band music (often sitting in on "Bari" Sax), tennis, ballroom dancing and traveling, especially on ocean liners and has served as a Gentleman Host (doing ballroom dancing) on many ships including the Queen Elizabeth 2 and, more recently, the new Queen Mary 2, as well as the Mississippi Queen, a paddleboat. Born in Brazil, his first language was Portuguese. He them lived in Singapore after the war and found a cobra in the back yard! After extensive traveling, mostly on ships, Pat and his family moved to San Jose, California where Pat attended public school and college. Pat has been certified in Scuba and recently dove to an aircraft carrier, a depth of 100 feet.

He lives in Buckhead with his wife, Charlotte and his two "grand pups", a Maltese named Winston and a Toy Poodle named Sailor. They both listen to Pat's problems with sympathetic ears and are sworn to secrecy!!