Oswaldo Garza is a Mexican-American freelance saxophonist and educator from Houston, Texas who is currently based out of Austin, Texas. In addition to his private teaching, Oswaldo maintains an active performing career as a soloist and chamber musician. His recent engagements include an interdisciplinary collaboration and performance of Felipe Lara’s Vocalise II at the Blanton Museum of Art for the “Words / Matter” series, an art exhibit which features Latin American Art and Language, and performances of Steven Mackey’s Blue Notes and Other Clashes, at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) as well as a headlining performance for Fast Forward Austin (FFA), a local new music festival. Upcoming performance March 15th at SXSW with Density512, a local chamber music group committed to the advancement of contemporary music. An avid orchestral and chamber musician trained in the classical French conservatory tradition, Oswaldo has performed with the Texarkana and Longview Symphony Orchestras, was a winner of the 2015 Stephen F. Austin State University Concerto Competition with the Ethereal Quartet, performing Bolcom’s Concerto Grosso, was a semifinalist for the 5th annual Coltman Chamber Music Competition with the Donax Reed Quintet, and was invited to perform with the UT Saxophone Ensemble at the 71st Midwest Clinic, held in Chicago, Illinois. Oswaldo was an academic assistant during his time at The University of Texas at Austin – Butler School of Music (MM ‘19), where he studied with Dr. Stephen Page. 

Immediately upon his graduation from UT, at the age of 24, Oswaldo joined the faculty at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he taught applied musical instruction to both music majors and non-majors, chamber music and studio class alongside his former teacher Dr. Nathan Nabb (saxophonist for the St. Louis & Houston Symphonies, and former Professor of Saxophone at SFASU) from Fall of 2019 to Fall of 2021. In addition to his time at SFASU, Oswaldo also served as lecturer of saxophone for the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2021. Oswaldo currently maintains a vibrant and competitive saxophone studio averaging 50 students, and is in high demand as an active clinician and masterclass teacher for middle, high schools and universities. His students frequently place in the All-Region process, and have gone on to receive graduate degrees in music from top conservatories in the country. Oswaldo is passionate about spreading modern saxophone pedagogy, as well as including music theory alongside his saxophone lessons to create a more enriching musical experience for his students.