“The connections that are made at SMF last a lifetime!” says King.

This year, 2023, marks oboist Nancy Ambrose King’s twentieth summer serving as a Faculty Artist at Sarasota Music Festival. During her impressive tenure, she has made countless musical memories with fellows and faculty and had a front-row seat to the Festival's evolution, all while still honoring its traditions.  

“I am very grateful to have been a part of the Festival under the leadership of all three of its musical directors – Paul Wolfe, Bob Levin, and Jeffrey Kahane – each of whom brought brilliance, imagination, and dedication to the Festival and guided it with great care,” said King. “I feel that the Festival has kept true to its original intent while also broadening its scope and furthering its commitment to programming new genres of music, as well as featuring composers, faculty, and fellows who include all members of our society.”

An oboe professor at the University of Michigan, King recently served as the first female president of the International Double Reed Society. She has enjoyed a successful career as a soloist and has performed with orchestras across the globe over the last few decades. King is also a prolific recording artist, with eleven albums featuring works for solo oboe and chamber ensembles. Each summer, she looks forward to the Sarasota Music Festival, which allows her the chance to connect with friends and colleagues while forging new bonds with each year’s group of fellows.

Image: Nancy Ambrose King at the beach with the 2023 oboe fellows

“It’s wonderful to reconnect with old friends and nurture the friendships that have evolved over the course of two decades,” King said. “It is also great to introduce each new crop of fellows to the beauty of Sarasota, take them to see the ocean, and enjoy a relaxed meal together where we can really get to know each other. The connections that are made at SMF last a lifetime!”