Helgerman, Michael AndrewThough the oboe has enjoyed both a rich history and contemporary renaissance as a solovoice, 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.1 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. The following works (ordered alphabetically by composer) will be performed in a live recital and recorded with the intention of distribution on digital platforms: • “Longa Nahawand” from The New Egyptian Arabic Sufic Art Music by AbdoDagher (1970) • Bôn búć tranh (Four Pictures) for Oboe, Two Percussion, and Piano by Đỗ Hồng Quân (2001) • Pranayam for Oboe and Piano by Reena Esmail (2022) • Ashakiran for solo English Horn by Meera Gudipati (2019) • Six Sketches for Oboes and Piano by Fred Onovwerosuoke (2008) • Cinq Pièces pour Hautbois et Piano by Tôn-Thất Tiết (1965) Additionally, a set of scholarly program notes will highlight each featured composer and discussvarious aspects of the historical, theoretical, and social contexts that influenced each work’s composition. 1 Susan M. Lundberg, “What Every Oboist Should Know: Methods and Repertoire Selections,” The Double Reed24, no. 4 (2001): 106.enDissertationMusicOboe