sarah williams

oboist | teacher

About

Oboist Sarah Williams experienced love at first sight at the age of four when her parents introduced a piano into their home. Displaying a natural artistic intuition and an emotional investment in the study of music, weekly piano lessons quickly grew into a hunger for a comprehensive dive into the art of interpretation. 

Sarah received her bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School as a student of Elaine Douvas, receiving additional instruction from Nathan Hughes, Linda Strommen, Scott Hostetler, Julia DeRosa, and Melissa Hooper. She regularly performed with the Juilliard Orchestra and was a Teaching Assistant for the Oboe Class. She had the pleasure of serving as Principal Oboist of the New York Youth Symphony for their 2019-20 season and was featured on CNN’s “The Fourth in America” with Billy Ray Cyrus.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Sarah was privileged with an immersive arts scene that continuously taught her the importance of collaboration, outreach, and education, with a lasting impact from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Under the tutelage of Barbara Cook, she developed an appreciation for thinking outside the box and cultivating an all-encompassing understanding of the oboe. In her commitment to giving back to communities that fostered her growth, Sarah served as an administrator at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute for the 2022 and 2023 summer seasons. Through interacting with the students and faculty and frequently watching performances, she found herself in an artistic environment that ignited her passion for a musical journey that extends beyond performing; her love of music theory, history, and literature is an integral component of her duty as a musician.

Lessons

❝ I am thankful that I have found an oboe instructor as knowledgeable, patient, and friendly as Sarah. I love her style of teaching as it reflects her tremendous talent, dedication, and expertise as an oboist and teacher. In addition, she understands my capabilities and encourages me to improve on my abilities by fully explaining and demonstrating the concepts and techniques she incorporates into her lessons. Further, Sarah is timely and flexible in scheduling our lessons via the Zoom platform, which is nice as it works well and suits me being able to do them from home. I am very grateful to have found Sarah and look forward to our lesson time each week! ❞

— Janie C., current student

  • As musicians, perhaps the most impactful part of our journey is the time we spend with our teachers. With this in mind, I tailor each lesson to the needs of the student, meeting them at their necessary pace while continuing to build confidence and ask for more. I believe that musicality should be at the forefront of every goal and therefore should be involved in every part of our practice, no matter how technical or routine. This will be the focus of most lessons, with the understanding that musicality can always be used as a means to an end in our playing.

    Teaching is the most rewarding part of my life as a musician, and I look forward to every lesson. I can’t wait to work together and help each other grow.

    • $60 per hour ($10 travel fee applies if traveling to your home)

    • Zoom and in-home lessons available

    • $60 per hour ($10 travel fee applies if traveling to your home)

    • Zoom and in-home lessons available

❝After years of trying many different reed sources I am thrilled to be playing on Sarah’s reeds. Her reeds are excellent quality and help me produce a much more even, nicer and darker tone—which ultimately helps improve my confidence and technique, and greatly adds to my overall playing experience!❞

— Janie C., current student

Reeds

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    Oboe Reeds

    $27

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    Oboe Reed Blanks

    $13

  • Gouged Cane

    $3.40 per piece

Contact ME

looking for lessons, reeds, or want to collaborate? send me a message here so we can connect!