Stephen Key

Stephen Key is an Oboist, Composer, Arranger, and Pedagogue in the Washington DC Metro area. A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Professor Key began his studies on piano and voice with his mother when he was only three. He landed on studying the oboe in the public school band program in Ada, Ok. Like many young oboists, at 11 he didn’t want to play an instrument that everyone else was playing.

Mostly an oboist, Stephen is the Principal Oboe for the New Orchestra of Washington, adjunct Associate Professor of Oboe at Shenandoah Conservatory, and Principal Oboist for the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival. In addition to concerto performances with NOW, Key arranged and performed Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin about which New York critic, Oberon’s Grove, said, “gorgeous performance… terrific, notable solos… rich, warm tone.” As a soloist, he has performed with the New Orchestra of Washington, Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Orchestra, Washington Chamber Orchestra, The Washington Chorus, Washington Master Chorale, University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, and Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, Key partnered with Swiss-based, Italian Pianist, Matteo Cardelli to record Lili Boulanger’s song cycle, Clairières dans le Ciel, now available on streaming.

Orchestral work includes regularly performing with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and recently playing with the Arizona MusicFest under Robert Moody. He regularly serves as the Guest Principal of the Maryland Symphony, and has also played with the National Symphony, Austin Symphony (TX), Richmond Symphony, the International Pride Orchestra, Roanoke Symphony and Opera, Virginia Opera, the Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio, and the New World Symphony. Also, he has recorded with Grammy Award-winning studio Sono Luminus, the Centaur Label, DF-Recording in Switzerland, and Albany Records.

As a chamber musician, Stephen is frequently performing with the Van Buren Winds through his conservatory position, but has performed on recital series in the United States and Europe for many years including Evermay Listening Room, Matinee-M, Chalice, Kleine Aula – Höchschule für Musik Trossingen, Freie Höchschule für Musik Basel, and many more . Most recently collaborating with international artists on a tour of Germany, Switzerland, and Italy which included the European premiere of his Trio for Oboe, Cello, and Piano “Hymn to a Better World.” As an arranger, much of his work has been for the New Orchestra of Washington. While as a composer, Key seeks to increase chamber and solo repertoire for the oboe with multiple other combinations of instruments. Inasmuch, his works have been performed numerous times throughout the Washington DC region, from the Shenandoah Valley to New York City, and even in Europe.

Key studied at Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Texas at Austin. He has worked with Rebecca Henderson, James Caldwell, Rudolf Vrbsky, Carol Stephenson, James Moseley, Richard Killmer, Elaine Douvas, and Katherine Needleman.