Kaitlyn Walker
Oboe
Educator, performer, and clinician
An experienced educator, performer, and clinician, oboist Kaitlyn Walker most recently served as Associate Dean in the School of Music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was also a faculty member in the School of Music, specializing in performance and music education. With a passion for blending performing arts administration and musical performance, she oversaw the academic operations and facilitated the collaboration of academic and artistic goals between the faculty and students of the School of Music.
Previously, Ms. Walker served as Interim Director of Woodwind Studies at New York University, Steinhardt, in the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions. She was also a member of the oboe faculty. Additionally, Ms. Walker spent a decade as a Woodwind Specialist for the South Orange-Maplewood, New Jersey Public School District. She has served on the faculties of several summer festivals, including the New York Summer Musical Festival and the NYU Summer Institute for Woodwind Studies.
An active clinician, Ms. Walker gives lectures and masterclasses across the United States to music educators and students on a variety of topics, including arts administration, performing arts in higher education, oboe performance, and woodwind studies. She hosts various clinics and serves on panels with organizations such as the National Association of Music Education, the National Education Association, New York University, the International Double Reed Society, and Rutgers University. Drawing on her extensive training in pedagogy and curricular development, she applies these skills in her private studio, where she mentors students using research-based methods to enhance both their technical abilities and musical understanding. She continues to build a robust private studio, fostering a supportive learning environment that attracts and nurtures students of diverse backgrounds and skill levels.
Ms. Walker has performed with a variety of world-renowned artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Paquito D'Rivera, Alan Vizzutti, and Jay-Z. She holds the position of Principal Oboist with the Eastern Wind Symphony and has performed with the ensemble at the internationally acclaimed Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. She has performed with the Adelphi Orchestra, Bay Atlantic Symphony, Garden State Symphonic Band, Monmouth Symphony Orchestra, Orchestral Society of St. Cecilia, One World Symphony, Washington Square Music Festival Orchestra, and World Peace Orchestra. Her performances have taken place in prestigious venues including The Bowery Ballroom, The Count Basie Theater, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Symphony Space, Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, and Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center.
Kaitlyn Walker is a Buffet Crampon Oboe Artist and has earned degrees from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and New York University, Steinhardt.