Oboist Michael Henoch received the Theodore Thomas Medallion for Distinguished Service upon his retirement from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He held The Gilchrist Foundation Assistant Principal Chair, completing 50 years as the longest-serving oboist in the CSO's 131-year history. Henoch was appointed to the orchestra by Music Director Sir Georg Solti in 1972 while still a student at Northwestern University, where he has also served as Associate Professor of oboe for the past 22 years. Henoch studied with Rhadames Angelucci, Gladys Elliot, and Ray Still. 

He has performed as principal oboe on more than 50 CSO recordings over the course of his career that has included the Music Directorships of Solti, Daniel Barenboim, and Ricardo Muti. He appeared as soloist on several occasions performing the Mozart oboe Concerto and Sinfonia Concertante, Francaix's Flower Clock, Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante, and Bach's Concerto for violin and oboe. He has participated in the Marlboro Music Festival, Carmel Bach Festival, and Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival. 

Henoch performed Mozart's oboe Quartet (Summit Records) which was a Grammy Award Finalist in 2007, as well as Cedille Records 20th Century French Wind Trios, Chamber Music of David Diamond, and La Vie est une Parade. For many seasons, Henoch was the Artistic Co-Director of the Chicago Chamber Musicians leading the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art productions of Music at the Millennium (1998-2000) in close collaboration with conductor/composer Pierre Boulez. In 2008 Henoch founded Dempster St Pro Musica, a chamber music collective that continues to present concerts at SPACE in Evanston, Illinois.