Natalie Myers is a freelance oboist and English horn player, reedmaker, composer, and music educator. She is currently studying with Alyssa Morris at Kansas State University, pursuing her PhD in Music Curriculum and Instruction, and will serve as her sabbatical replacement in the Spring. She TAs aural skills and conducting, and works as a primary administrator for the school’s arts outreach program. Natalie also holds a master’s degree in oboe from the University of Illinois and bachelor’s degrees in music education and oboe performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Natalie is passionate about composing and premiering new music for the oboe and English horn, teaching music theory and aural skills, and sharing the joy of music through education and performance.
Kelsey Farr is an Oboe Graduate Assistant pursuing a Master of Music in performance at Kansas State University, where she studies with Dr. Alyssa Morris. At KSU, she is the principal oboist of the Symphony Orchestra and plays English horn in the Wind Ensemble. Beyond her university experience, Kelsey is a professional oboe reed maker for MKL Reeds.
Kelsey received her Bachelor of Music in oboe performance and Digital Media Certificate from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she served as principal oboist of the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony for several years.
She made her debut as a soloist in 2024 with the UTA Wind Symphony. During her undergraduate career, Kelsey had the opportunity to work with oboe specialist Carlos Coelho. She also maintained a full studio of oboe students all throughout the DFW metroplex. Her previous oboe instructors include Prof. Melissa Bosma, Gina Ford, and River Sprinkle.
Colby Stevens is an oboist and musicologist based in Kansas City, MO. He is currently getting an Artist’s Certificate in Oboe and a Masters of Musicology at UMKC. He is studying oboe with Celeste Johnson and musicology with Dr. Andrew Granade. He is also studying baroque oboe with Dr. Adam Shapiro. Colby has a Bachelors in Music from Snow College where he studied oboe with Luca Florin and Mary Lynch Vanderkolk, as well as Masters in Music from Kansas State University where he studied oboe with Dr. Alyssa Morris and musicology with Dr. Craig Parker.
Colby can be seen playing oboe with many regional orchestras in Kansas including the Salina Symphony, where he holds the second oboe position. He also frequently presents at regional chapters of the American Musicological Society. His research interests include queer American composers of the 20th century and gender discourse in popular music.
Lucas Reed is a freelance oboist in the Manhattan, Kansas area and a current Master’s student at Kansas State University studying oboe and composition under Dr. Alyssa Morris. He received his Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance and Bachelor of Music in Theory & Composition from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, where he studied oboe with Dr. Julie Smith and composition with Dr. Thomas Couvillon.
He currently performs across the state of Kansas, including frequently performing with the Salina Symphony, Hutchinson Symphony, Manhattan Symphony, Manhattan Municipal Band, Bethany Oratorio Society, and Flint Hills Chamber Orchestra. While at Kansas State University, he performs frequently with the KSU Concert Bands, KSU Symphony Orchestra, and as a representative of the KSU Oboe Studio.
