Exploring and Propagating Oboe Music From Composers of South Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Heritage

Abstract

Though the oboe has enjoyed both a rich history and contemporary renaissance as a solo voice, the instrument's repertoire bears some rigidity and limitations in representing composers from diverse backgrounds. A repertoire survey from a 2001 edition of the Double Reed Journal denotes a clear tendency towards homogeneity of composer background in the instrument's canon. After contacting oboe professors employed at universities across the United States, compiler Susan Lundberg published lists of concerti, sonatas, chamber pieces, and other works that "oboists should know"; every piece listed in the top ten results of each genre was written by a male composer of European or American descent. This dissertation project will serve as a small step among the many needed for the oboe's solo repertoire to evolve into a canon that equitably represents composers from all backgrounds. In particular, composers with South Asian, African, and Middle Eastern roots will enjoy the spotlight in this dissertation, as these cultures boast rich musical foundations whose synthesis with the modern oboe has yet to receive significant research.