Sophie Oehlers Maeda has made her mark as an oboist at a very young age. She was named a finalist (no final round due to Covid-19) of the 2020 International Double Reed Society Norma Hooks Young Artist Competition. As a winner of this competition, Sophie commissioned and premiered Benjamin C.S. Boyle’s ‘Sonata lirica’ at the 2021 IDRS Virtual Symposium. In August of 2021, she was named the winner of The American Prize for Instrumental Performance, college/university division. In May of 2020, Sophie also won First Prize and was given the Special Performance Award in the Quebec International Music Competition. Sophie has appeared with the Colorado Symphony, Colorado Music Festival, Reno Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahlerfest Orchestra, and more. She has had three commissions written for her and is a strong advocate for bringing new oboe repertoire to the canon. Sophie is currently the Artistic Coordinator with the Boulder Philharmonic and is passionate about performing and music administration.