Elizabeth Priestly Siffert
Elizabeth Priestly Siffert is originally from Sugar Land, Texas USA and is a graduate of Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Ms. Priestly Siffert then went on to study with Richard Killmer at the Eastman School of Music where she graduated with a Bachelors of Music and the distinction of being the first and one of the only students in the school's history to ever receive two Performer's Certificates as an undergraduate.
Ms. Priestly Siffert has made frequent solo performances throughout her career with orchestras including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Houston Ballet Orchestra and Orchestra of Saint Luke's. At the age of 22 Ms. Priestly Siffert made her international solo debut with the Orquesta de Camera de Mineria. She was invited two years later to perform as a soloist for the first time in Europe with Orquestra Classica da Madeira. She was sponsored by F. Lorée, Paris as a headlining soloist at the International Double Reed Society annual conference in New York City performing Foss Concerto for Oboe on the conference’s final performance. She also made several solo performances as part of the Goppisberger Musikfestival performing as a soloist in different cities in Switzerland. Through the years Ms. Priestly Siffert has also success in solo competitions including winning the Eastman Concerto Competition and prize winner in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition. She was second prize winner in the world's most prominent oboe competition, the Fernand Gillet Hugo Fox Competition sponsored by the International Double Reed Society, and has been the highest ranged American in this competition since 2007.
Her performances have brought her all over the world on radio and television with performances on America's top classical radio program Performance Today and a televised solo performance on Portugal's Porto Canal.
She has performed in the most prominent festivals in the United States including Lincoln Center Festival.
Ms. Priestly Siffert is an active orchestral musician as well. Her former positions include second oboe with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra (2001‐2003), co‐principal oboe with Orquestra Sinfonica de Mineria (2003), and principal oboe with Orquestra Classica da Madeira (2003‐2007). She is currently principal oboist of the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet Orchestras, a position she has held since 2008 and is a musician with The Grand Teton Music Festival. She has had many additional performances with orchestras throughout the world such as the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra dos Sonhos and the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Priestly Siffert has been inspired by many wonderful teachers. In addition to Richard Killmer she has studied with Bob Atherholt, Robin Hough and Denise Zoch. Kenneth Grant, Donald Hunsberger, Ray Ricker, Jeff Hill, Jill Yancey and Nathan Carter have also had a major impact on her music education.
Elizabeth Priestly Siffert plays exclusively on Lorée oboes and is currently playing on a Lorée Royal 125 Amethyst.