Sara Fraker

Sara Fraker is an Associate Professor of Oboe at the University of Arizona's School of Music within the College of Fine Arts. She combines her academic role with performance commitments as a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, principal oboist of True Concord Voices & Orchestra, and collaborator with the Arizona Wind Quintet.

• Education: DMA from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2009), MM from New England Conservatory (2002), BA from Swarthmore College (1999)
• Performance Roles: Tucson Symphony Orchestra | True Concord Voices & Orchestra | Arizona Wind Quintet

Her research explores intersections of music and ecology, including collaborations with dendrochronologists and environmental scientists. Recent projects include Pine Chant (2021), using tree-ring data in musical composition, and Braiding (2020), integrating ecological themes with composer Asha Srinivasan and ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Key focus areas include:

• Environmental soundscapes
• Interdisciplinary performance
• Contemporary oboe repertoire
• Korean music analysis

Her 2021-2024 works demonstrate trends in ecological music composition, technology integration, and historical music recovery. Notable compositions include Pine Chant (2021), Oboe Quartet (2024 premiere), and White Sand & Gray Sand (2020).

Scientific Awards & Honors

• 2023 Australian Art Music Awards - Work of the Year, Chamber Music
• Arizona Commission on the Arts - Artist Research and Development Grant
• Garrigues Scholarship
• National Merit Scholar
• Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship
• Gillet Fellowship (Tanglewood Music Center)
• Peter Gram Swing Prize

As an educator, she teaches oboe pedagogy, reedmaking, and Music in World Cultures. She also contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives as affiliated faculty at UArizona’s Institute for Resilience (AIR).