Biography

Katie Scheele (pronounced “Shay-luh”)

Oboe, English horn & Oboe d’amore
(Katie plays on F. Lorée instruments)

B.M. cum laude, Northwestern University

M.M., Boston University

Growing up in a very small farm town in the northwest corner of Rhode Island, Katie chose the oboe because she wanted something loud, unusual and simply for the fact that only two other students had signed up for it.  Little did she know that for the rest of her life she would be saying “no, it’s not that really big instrument, I think you mean the  tuba/bassoon/etc” or “no, not the elbow, the oboe” or “no, I can’t just buy my reeds”.

Katie played the oboe throughout school, spending her last few years schlepping up to Boston every week on the Greyhound bus for lessons with Barbara LaFitte and to play in the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (thanks Mom and Dad).   All of this hard work landed Katie a spot at Northwestern University to study with the legendary Ray Still (more thanks to Mom and Dad).  After an amazing experience at NU (note: especially because this is where she met her husband Jim) she packed her bags and moved to Boston to study with Robert Sheena, the incredible English horn player in the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  After a couple of good years in Boston (go Sox!) Katie moved to NYC to play professionally and to finally live in the same city as Jim.

Since moving to NYC in 2003, Katie has maintained an active career as a freelance oboist and English horn player.  She has played with several orchestras in the area including the Westchester Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, the Garden State Philharmonic, the Long Island Philharmonic, the Westchester Philharmonic, the Reading (PA) Symphony , the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players and the Orchestra Celebrate. She recently was invited to record with Anthony Braxton and his Trillium E opera project, which was a highlight for Katie!

Katie is also one of the founding members of Threeds, a trio comprised of three oboes (sometimes two oboes and an English horn).  Since forming in the fall of 2008, Threeds has been invited to play at some of the city’s most notable venues including Trinity Church, Joe’s Pub, the Living Room and the Rockwood Music Hall. Most recently, they were invited to perform at the 2011 International Double Reed Society Convention in Tempe, AZ. They were also invited by the MTA of NYC (by audition) to be Music Under New York artists- look for them in the subway soon! In the meantime, check out their brand new debut album Unraveledon iTunes and CD Baby.

Although she loves playing orchestral music and chamber music, Katie’s real passion is playing with singer-songwriters, bands and other groups that feature the oboe/English horn in a non-traditional way.  Katie often plays with Paul Brill, Amber Rubarth, Jamie Leonhart, Michael Leonhart, Alex Wong, Sam Jacobs and The Flying Change, Andrew Vladeck and Luke Rathborne in NYC’s downtown music venues.  She loves playing in a band because she can “break the rules”…she also loves introducing the oboe to a new audience (“actually, it’s not a clarinet!”)  and hopes that one day the oboe will be a household name.

A studio musician, Katie can be heard playing oboe and English horn on over fifteen popular music albums (check out her music page) and on several independent film soundtracks that have been featured and awarded at the Sundance, South by Southwest and Berlin film festivals.  Her most recent soundtrack work on “Full Battle Rattle” (composed by Paul Brill) was nominated for a 2010 Emmy award and “The Devil Came on Horseback” (also composed by Paul Brill) was nominated for a 2009 Emmy award.

Katie enjoys teaching oboe students (ages 9-adult) at the Bloomingdale School of Music, the Rudolph Steiner School (where she also co-conducts the 5th grade band and teaches recorder) , the Brearley School and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.

When she is not running off to a gig or slaving away at her reed desk (yes, she makes her own reeds- great material for cocktail parties!) she enjoys traveling (although she hates packing), thrift stores, a good game of Scrabble and hanging out with her husband Jim, their baby son Dylan and their adorable goldendoodle Peanut.