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Laura Goben Harper is principal oboe of the Olympia Symphony and maintains an active and growing private studio in Western Washington teaching students of all ages and skill levels. She is currently on faculty at St. Martin's University and South Puget Sound Community College, and presents regular instrument demonstrations and clinics in public schools as well as giving masterclasses throughout the state. Previously, she was the instructor of Oboe at Central Washington University and Pierce College, and principal oboe of the MidColumbia Symphony. Ms. Harper is also an active chamber musician, performing with the Calico Trio, the Sound Ensemble, and various other quintets and trios.

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Recent performances include the Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Rock Orchestra, the MidColumbia Mastersingers, soloist with the Seattle Festival Orchestra performing Mozart's Oboe Concerto in C major, K. 314, and guest artist at the first annual OctOboeFest in Pullman, WA in 2018. Ms. Harper also regularly presents solo and chamber recitals in Olympia with her husband, James Harper (horn).

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Ms. Harper received her Master’s of Music from the University of Oregon and her Bachelor’s of Music from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. As a student she received various awards such as Outstanding Graduate in Performance, the Ensemble Fellowship Award, the Sigma Alpha Iota Alumni Scholarship Award, and University of Michigan Honors. Her primary teachers include Melissa Peña, Dr. Nancy Ambrose King, and Dayna Fisher, and has worked with oboists Rebecca Henderson, John Snow, Thomas Stacy (English horn), and tubist Øystein Baadsvik in various masterclasses throughout the United States.

 

When not practicing or making reeds, she enjoys cooking, playing board games, and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest with James and their dog, Molly.