Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Juliana Gaona is an oboist, chamber and orchestra musician, improviser, and educator. Juliana has participated in contemporary music festivals and ensembles including the Academia Cervantina in Guanajuato, Mexico, Vértice Ensemble in Mexico City, and soundSCAPE Festival in Italy. In 2020, she performed virtually with the Festival Mujeres en la Música Nueva at the <In/Out> Festival hosted by COINCIDENCIA Swiss and South America cultural exchange. In 2023, she participated in the Ensemble Evolution Summer program in New York City hosted by the International Contemporary Ensemble. As an active improviser, she explores the sonic possibilities of the oboe and English horn by expanding a performative language and experimenting with the reactionary and unexpected dynamics of improvisation. Her ongoing collaborative project with Mexican singer Mariana Flores queries the soundscapes of Latinamerican canciones populares of the mid-twentieth century. Before moving to the Bay area, Juliana was the oboe professor at the University of Texas, El Paso.
