Oboist Lauren Williams is a multifaceted performer and educator. She is currently Acting Associate Principal Oboe/English Horn of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in Virginia, a position she previously held from 2019–2021, and has also performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and Virginia Symphony Orchestra. She holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and a Master of Musical Arts degree from Yale School of Music. Upon graduation from Juilliard, she received the John Erskine Commencement Prize, which is presented to one undergraduate student for outstanding scholastic and artistic achievement.

Lauren is of Armenian descent and has been a featured performing artist through the Armenian General Benevolent Union at Carnegie Hall and in São Paulo, Brazil. She is passionate about expanding the available repertoire for oboe and frequently arranges music for oboists of all ages. As an educator, Lauren is also keenly interested in exploring interdisciplinary opportunities between music and other art forms, and recently presented on this subject at the International Steinbeck Conference.

A 2010 Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she has spent summers at Tanglewood Music Center, Spoleto Festival USA, and has served as Acting English Horn of the Britt Festival Orchestra since 2019.

For more information about Lauren, please visit her website.