Sarah Southard

About:

Dr. Sarah Southard is an oboist and educator who recently moved to the Northshore of Boston from Holland, Michigan. She is currently the principal oboist in Holland Symphony Orchestra (Holland, Michigan), adjunct professor at Gordon College (Wenham, Massachusetts), and music coordinator with the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras (NMYO). During the summers she teaches at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan where she is also a member of the faculty and staff Festival Ensembles; which are often broadcast live on Blue Lake Radio. 

As an advocate for new music, Southard has been involved with several commissions of solo and chamber music that includes oboe, giving premiere performances at the International Double Reed Society and National Flute Association conferences. Additionally, she has also presented at the Michigan Music Conference and the University of Michigan 2021 virtual organ conference. As an active musician of both chamber and orchestral music, Sarah has performed at a variety of chamber festivals, such as the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck and the Free@3 series in Holland, Michigan, and with such groups such as the Lansing Symphony Orchestra (MI), West Michigan Symphony Orchestra (MI), Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra (NY), New World Symphony Orchestra (FL), Cincinnati Symphony Opera Orchestra (OH), and Madison Symphony and Chamber Orchestras (WI). 

Before moving to the Boston area, Sarah taught for 16 years at Hope College in Holland Michigan, where her studio flourished. Her students won concerto competitions, were featured performers in the college’s showcase concerts as both soloists and chamber musicians, and have gone on to get jobs teaching and performing. During Spring Semester of 2022 Sarah had the pleasure of being the interim oboe teacher at Michigan State University where she was previously a sabbatical replacement.  Additionally, she has taught at Central Michigan University, University of Michigan-Flint, Northern Kentucky University, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts All-State Orchestra and All-State Band. 

Southard received her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University with oboist Jan Eberle, her Master’s Degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with Mark Ostoich, and her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying with Marc Fink.