Mekhi Gladden

Mekhi Gladden is an oboist and English-hornist from Atlanta, Georgia who is currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began studying oboe at age twelve before entering the Talent Development Program at age fifteen. Mekhi is a recent graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and a current student at Jefferson University.

Mekhi has performed with numerous orchestras as principal, second oboe, or English horn. These include The Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Memphis Symphony, Princeton Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, and Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra. They have recently been awarded First Prize in the Eric Varner Young Artist Competition, Audience Choice in the Virtual Oboe Competition, and Winner of the Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition with performance as a featured soloist with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra.

Mekhi works purposefully to showcase the innate diversity in classical music through their performance and education. This has taken shape in their premiering of several new works for solo oboe, oboe and electronics, oboe and trumpet, and various other ensembles. This has led to collaborations with Time Square Arts, The People’s Music Supply, Astral Artists, and the Composers Conference at Avaloch. Their recent season included a four month national tour presenting chamber music and masterclasses as a substitute member of Imani winds.