Mary Kausek Muse is an active performer and educator. She is the Principal Oboist of the unconducted chamber ensemble CityMusic Cleveland, and she has made multiple appearances with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Jalisco Philharmonia.
Mary Kausek Muse’s playing has been described as "stunningly beautiful" and "gorgeous" and as having "great flair and expression" by ClevelandClassical.com’s Robert Rollin. Mary is the principal oboist of Citymusic Cleveland and has performed with over fifteen professional orchestras throughout the US and the world. She has performed several seasons as the Principal Oboist of the Cleveland Orchestra’s Blossom Festival Band. This summer she has been invited to perform on oboe and English horn for six weeks in Logan, Utah with the Utah Festival Orchestra.
Mary was the guest principal oboist for the Fort Worth Symphony and the Pittsburgh Opera, and she has made several guest appearances with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Mrs. Muse is as comfortable on the english horn as she is on the oboe; she has performed as the solo english horn with the Pittsburgh Opera, The Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, the Jalisco Philharmonia, and the Fort Worth Symphony.
As the Fernand Gillet Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, Mary performed 7 world premieres in celebration of the TMC’s 75th year, including works by John Williams and Bright Sheng. Other summer engagements include performances with the National Repertory Orchestra and the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra. She has performed across Japan with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, and Vienna Philharmonic as a member of the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra. Mary recently performed with the Hollywood Film Music Orchestra on tour in Nanjing, China as well as join the Jalisco Philharmonia on its international tour in Guadalajara, Mexico and across the US.
Mary Kausek Muse has earned degrees at the University of Texas at Austin and Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Rebecca Henderson and Frank Rosenwein. Her english horn playing has been highly-influenced by her mentor and friend, Robert Walters. Mary has worked with such notable conductors as Fabio Luisi, Ludovic Morlot, Andris Nelsons, Michael Stern, Stephan Deneve, and Michael Tilson Thomas.
Ms. Kausek is passionate about sharing the artistic capabilities of the oboe not only through performance but also through education. She is an enthusiastic and devoted educator to the next generation of young oboists, and her students have earned positions in the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, the Boston University at Tanglewood Institute, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, the Ohio All-State Orchestra, the Ohio All-State Band, the Akron Youth Symphony, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, and the Northeast Ohio Youth Orchestra.
Mary enjoys spending time with her husband and her two French Bulldogs, Wolfgang and Clara. When not on stage, you will likely find Mary in the air, as she enjoys exploring the aerial arts on fabrics, hoop, and flying trapeze. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @theflyingoboist.