Jennifer Kirby (she/they) is a true Midwesterner, growing up in a small town in northwestern Missouri where they stayed to complete their Bachelor of Arts in Music, summa cum laude. They spent their days from a young age doing anything they could with music—from piano and recorder to clarinet and flute. During high school they finally settled on oboe and are now a freelance musician based in Bloomington, Indiana, having attended Indiana University under the tutelage of Linda Strommen and Roger Roe, culminating in a Doctor of Music in Oboe Performance with a minor in Early Music. They perform on a variety of oboes including English horn, oboe d’amore, bass oboe, and Baroque and Classical period instruments. They also have a passion for elevating underrepresented voices in music and advocating for musicians with disabilities.
They hold positions as second oboe and/or English horn with the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and Lafayette Symphony Orchestra. They also perform with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Louisville Orchestra, with whom they toured in 2023. Their love of historical performance flourished during their study with the late Washington McClain and Michael McCraw at IU. They hold the position of second oboe with the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra and the Bach Collegium (Fort Wayne), and play with Madison Bach Musicians, and the Bloomington Bach Cantata Project—where they have also served as a director.
They collaborate with ZREO Studios (music from The Legend of Zelda franchise) and can be heard on the studio’s recent VGMCON award‑winning album, Fair Winds & Following Seas. They are excited to join their wife, fellow oboist Liza Saracina, in the Owensboro Symphony. When not spending their time reed‑making, they enjoy time in nature, listening to audio books, and watercolor painting.