Cynthia Swanson is a versatile Southern California woodwind artist and educator and a proud Yamaha Performing Artist since 1990. An accomplished woodwind doubler, she performs on flutes, clarinets, and saxophones in a wide variety of ensembles, including pit orchestras, horn sections, chamber groups, and pops orchestras. Her extensive career includes nearly 16 years as a musician at Disneyland and a 10-year run as the principal reed for The Grinch Who Stole Christmas at The Old Globe. Her performance credits also include notable groups such as the City of Angels Saxophone Quartet, the Santa Monica Symphony, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Rick Gerber. She has appeared in the pit at venues like the Barclay Theater, Carpenter Center, and the San Diego Civic, where she performed with the national tour of Hello Dolly. As a touring musician, she was a featured artist on a nationwide Columbia Artists tour celebrating the music of Hoagy Carmichael.
In addition to her work as a performer, Cynthia is an experienced music educator. She has maintained a private woodwind studio, offering private lessons and section coaching, and this part of her career has been invaluable in shaping her as both a musician and a mentor. She continues to work with students of all ages, sharing her professional experience and joy of making music. Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance from Cal State Long Beach.