MICHAEL ISAAC RIPPLE is the Co-Artistic Director and Chief Operating Officer of The Horizon Series. He is an active freelancer throughout the Mid South region, currently based in Memphis, TN.  An in-demand chamber oboist, he regularly gives recitals throughout the country. He is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where he pursued his undergraduate degree in oboe performance as a student of Mr. Frank Rosenwein.  He is also a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, as a student of Mr. Daniel Stolper.  He was the founding oboist of Catharsis Winds, an award winning wind quintet based in Cleveland, Ohio. He is currently pursuing his Masters in oboe performance as the student of Dr. Michelle Vigneau at the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. At the University of Memphis, he holds the oboe seat in the Pyramid Winds Graduate Woodwind Quintet. He is a Teaching Artist with PRIZM Ensemble, a private lesson instructor with Bartlett City Schools, and a recently named Young Artist of the Beethoven Club of Memphis.

M. Isaac’s true passion is chamber music, most notably recognized during his time spent concertizing with Catharsis Winds.  Catharsis was the first ever ensemble-in-residence with fresh perspectives - creative, an artist-run concert and performance series in Cleveland, as well as an ensemble-in-residence with ChamberFest Cleveland for their 2019 season.  With the quintet, Isaac was a guest teacher and recitalist at Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Conservatorio Rossini, and Carroll University.  He has performed with Catharsis in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.  A bronze medalist with the group at the 2019 Fischoff Chamber Music competition, Isaac is also a silver medalist with the group from the 2019 Manhattan International Music Competition. Catharsis was also selected as a nominee for the highly esteemed Avery Fisher Prize in 2019, sponsored by the president of Interlochen Center for the Arts, Trey Devey. 

As a teacher, M. Isaac Ripple has served as the Oboe Teaching Assistant at Interlochen Arts for the 2018 Camp Season, and has been invited back each summer since.  He taught classes in reedmaking, coached chamber music, and led performance based classes with a focus on rehearsal skills.  He has developed a “Oboe Workout/Warm-up Methodology” which takes an athletic-training based approach to strengthening fundamental techniques, embouchure, tone, and musicality, all within the confines of a daily ‘warm-up’. He maintains an extensive private studio, teaching students of all skill-levels. An accomplished reedmaker, he sells his reeds and supplies oboists throughout the region with the highest quality professional, hand-made reeds. 

Equally passionate about administration and leadership in and out of the artistic space, M. Isaac Ripple holds a Masters of Administration with a focus in healthcare (MHA) from Gannon University. He is the co-founder of The Horizon Series, an all professional chamber music series and festival in Washington, D.C. and Erie, Pennsylvania. The Horizon Series aims to widen the reach of chamber music, and influence the next generation of classical music concert goers through diverse, thoughtful programs in unique settings. At the University of Memphis, he is the Graduate Assistant administrator with the Scheidt Music Extension Program.