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The American oboist, English hornist, teacher, and scholar, Jennifer M. Kirby, obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music summa cum laude from Northwest Missouri State University (2006); her Master of Music degree in Oboe (2008) and her Performer Diploma in Oboe from Indiana University Bloomington (2009); and her Doctor of Music in Oboe Performance with Minors in Historical Winds and Music History from Indiana University (2009-August 2013). Her primary teachers include: Washington McClain, Michael McCraw, Linda Strommen, and Roger Roe, Chris Gibson, and Dan Willett. She was a finalist for the 2011 Woodwind Concerto Competition at Indiana University, performing the Donizetti's Concertino on English horn, making her the first and thus far only, English hornist to compete in the final round.
Jennifer Kirby lives in Bloomington, Indiana and is an active performer on modern and historical oboes, as well as English horn, Oboe d'amore, Baroque oboe and recorders. Active as a performer on Oboe, English horn, Oboe d'amore, and Baroque Oboe, she has performed with Joshua Bell, Geoffrey Burgess, Heidi Grant-Murphy, Sylvia McNair, Gil Shaham, and even Popular artists such as Ben Folds, Jason Alexander, and Vanessa Williams. On modern instruments she currently holds positions with the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic (since 2013) and Lafayette Symphony Orchestra (Interim 2nd Oboe, since 2013); and have performed with the Louisville Orchestra (since 2013), Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (Substitute English horn, since 2010), Owensboro Symphony Orchestra (Substitute Oboe, 2010), Carmel Symphony Orchestra. On on period instruments she has played with Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra (3rd oboe, 2013), Music City Baroque, Kansas City Baroque Consortium, Bourbon Baroque, and is regularly seen with the Bloomington Bach Cantata Project (since 2012; Director: Daniel R. Melamed), Aspen Music Festival (2011), and Texas Music Festival (2008).
Jennifer Kirby has over 30 years of teaching experience, from private lessons to classrooms of 50 students. As a private teacher, she has taught oboe to students ranging from Middle School through Graduate school, and has worked with students with special needs. She maintains a private studio, Instructor/Owner at Little Tree Music Studio Bloomington, Indiana (since 2003) where she primarily teaches oboe, but also bassoon, clarinet, saxophone and flute, with an added emphasis on young students who are doubling or switching instruments. She currently (as of June 2017) teaches private lessons as a Guest Lecturer at Vincennes University. Her former students can be found throughout the world, including Brazil, Korea, China, Canada, and Germany. She spent 10 years teaching at the Northwest Music Camp of Excellence, where she organized and built a curriculum of Music History, World Music, and Music Appreciation. She has been Teacher of Double Reeds, Musicianship and Music Theory Courses at Northwest Missouri State Music Camp of Excellence (2003-2011); Associate Instructor & Assistant to Linda Strommen at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (2008-2011); Records Assistant at Indiana University Office of the Registrar (since 2013).
As a scholar Jennifer Kirby specializes in French Baroque Oboe music, on which her doctoral studies were focused. She also studies performance practice in the works of the late Baroque and early Classical Eras. As a lover of Ancient Music, she worked closely with Thomas Mathiesen during her doctoral studies and is currently working on The Aulos Project with fellow oboist, Keith Sorrels to study the instrument through surviving examples and reproductions.
Jennifer Kirby is also an Aerialist, performing on Aerial silks, lyra, and Spanish Web Rope with AsaBela Studio in Bloomington. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking, attending the local Farmer's Market, and spending time with her Havanese, Isabella. She is a Member of the American Federation of Musicians, Louisville Local. |
