Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez, Director

Click here for Merideth’s “About” Page

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/ The Artist’s Joy 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 to The Juilliard School where she received for her doctorate in oboe.

As a speaker, Merideth has been featured at Google, Hunter College’s Collaborative for Social Emotional Learning and Leading (C-SELL), Wild Goose Festival, Longy School of Music, ShePodcasts LIVE, Music Institute of Chicago, and more. As a coach, she has helped thousands of artists overcome creative block through her popular online creative recovery clusters and serves as a coach for all types of artists and arts leaders, from major museum directors to deans of art schools to writers for TV and film to Emmy-winning actors to hip hop artists.

Her writing illuminates the spiritual journey of the artist through the lens of creative nonfiction, exploring the intersection of art, faith, and the human experience. Her award-winning podcast, Artists for Joy, is currently in the top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide, and her first book, The Artist’s Joy: A Guide to Getting Unstuck, Embracing Imperfection, and Loving Your Creative Life, debuted at No. 1 in the Creativity category on Audible. She shares poems and essays weekly on her popular Substack, “Arts Open Door.” Her second book, “Art Is How God Loves Us,” launches in July 2026.

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

Since moving to Metro Detroit, Michigan, she has performed as a featured artist with Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, and numerous national and international performing ensembles. She enjoys sharing her gifts as artist-in-residence at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), where her husband, Rev. Dr. Edwin Estevez, is Senior Pastor.

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's worked in classrooms all across Delaware, NYC, and Detroit with Lincoln Center Education, Delaware Institute for Arts in Education, and Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings.

When she’s not playing oboe or writing, Merideth enjoys baking sourdough while listening to audiobooks. She hails from Abbeville, SC, but now lives in Bloomfield Hills, MI with her husband and two children.

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