Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez, Director

Click here for Merideth’s press kit

As a professional oboist, I am always in pursuit of the most beautiful tone. We instrumentalists spend our lives attempting to mimic the human voice, and I must say this is astonishingly simple on some days and perfectly impossible on others. Yet, even when I was only beginning to be serious about practicing oboe, I knew: when the right music, the perfect reed, and the stars aligned the instrument had the capability to soar and sparkle, to speak novels in a single interval, and to be the "refuge" that music could be, as Maya Angelou wrote. This made the tiresome pursuit of beauty easier, because it suddenly involved something outside of myself. What was that mysterious force that seemed to collaborate when all was going well?  Something in it heals and soothes me as I play, perhaps more than any audience member, however evasive it may be. 

We artists have this privilege. We stand on the precipice of the mystical.

Some have called this force God. Others call it spirit, flow, Yahweh, muse, inspiration, genius. (One of my students calls it The Force, for you Star Wars fans out there!) My tradition calls it the Holy Spirit. Whatever the name that resonates with you, this Collaborator in our artwork is separate from us, the artist. We can't take all the credit if things go right or the blame if things go wrong! From this place we are free to shine brightly, with a sense of gratitude and wonder. (I am greatly indebted to Elizabeth Gilbert and her amazing TED talk on this subject.)

I fear the average artist today lives as a slave to his or her craft, rather than partaking in a joyful pursuit of that mysterious and elusive force which collaborates with us. I am eager to incubate under the light of it, no matter how different our traditions or language for these spiritual matters may seem. 

I feel called to the work of helping artists thrive, because I believe in arts' power to open us to the sacred moment of change, toward peace and justice. 

My hope is that this work will deepen our artistic and creative experience, inspiring innovative, productive, and transcendent art-making, and the joy from this pursuit will spill over into the community and the world, as artists are empowered to use their gifts to serve. 

The quest for the most beautiful tone and a more just world may seem never-ending, but with fellowship and faith, I feel we artists could make a difference. Whether you listen along to the podcast, sign up for The Artist’s Way Creative Cluster or take advantage of one-to-one coaching, I hope you'll join me. 

(if you need a shorter bio for a particular facet of Merideth’s work or high-res photos, click here.)

Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez

“Luminous sound and gorgeous phrasing…remarkable…exquisite.” American Record Guide (2018)

An active freelancer and sought-after recitalist, oboist Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez has performed and taught throughout North and South America, Asia, and Europe. Orchestrally, she is currently the English hornist for the Chamber Orchestra of NY, and has also performed with PhillyPOPS, OperaDelaware, Metropolitan Opera (NYC), American Symphony (NYC) as well as innovative shows with cutting-edge groups like Experiential Orchestra (NYC). Her education has taken her all over the world—Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Yale School of Music, Fulbright Scholar to Germany, and The Juilliard School, where she received her doctorate in oboe.

A passionate teaching artist, Merideth loves taking her oboe everywhere she goes in hopes of making music accessible to all types of audiences. She has completed teaching artist training over three summers at Lincoln Center Education in NYC and has also received instruction in their groundbreaking Aesthetic Education curriculum. She has worked in classrooms all over the world, providing professional development opportunities for teachers in school districts as a teaching artist for Delaware Institute for Arts in Education (DIAE) and Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings (DCWS.)

As founder and director of Artists for Joy, Merideth invites artists into community to debunk the stereotype of the tortured artist, to unleash joy in the creation of art in all disciplines, and to consider creativity as a spiritual practice. Her podcast of the same name was a winner of the Award of Excellence in 2022 Communicator Awards and is in the top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide, according to listennotes.com. Merideth has led thousands of artists in creative recovery and discovery through her popular support groups around Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” and is a Start with Heart Facilitator through Graydin. She runs a thriving one-to-one coaching business to help artists thrive. Her first book, “The Artist’s Joy: A Guide to Getting Unstuck, Embracing Imperfection, and Loving Your Creative Life” debuts in June 2024 (Broadleaf Books.)

Merideth has also held positions at numerous universities and schools of music, including University of Delaware School of Music, University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Winston Salem), The University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg), and Music Institute of Chicago, while she was in residence with Fifth House Ensemble, an innovative ten-piece chamber ensemble in Chicago.

Merideth is deeply committed to connecting with the next generation of musicians and audiences alike through music education and community outreach. A founding member of Lumina Duo with pianist Jani Parsons, she performs specially curated recitals around the country to inspire social change. Their debut album of French music (in memory of those in the Parisian terrorist attacks of 2015 ) was published by MSR Classics in 2018. As a Ravinia Teaching Artist, she worked with Fifth House Ensemble in Chicago public schools. As a recipient of the SYLFF Fellowship awarded through the Tokyo Foundation, she toured Japan in the summer of 2012, coaching and performing alongside students as part of the foundation’s Tsunami recovery effort. 

When she’s not playing oboe or making reeds, Merideth enjoys traveling the world and attempting to speak foreign languages with a Southern accent. She hails from Abbeville, SC, but now lives in Bloomfield Hills, MI, where she resides with her husband, Rev. Edwin Estevez, daughter Eva, and son Eli.

Education

D.M.A., The Juilliard School
M.M., Yale School of Music
B.M., Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

For bios of varying lengths, photos, etc—click here for Merideth’s press kit