Theresa Delaplain, associate professor of music at the University of Arkansas, recently won first place in the 2025 American Prize in Instrumental Performance (Winds) competition. Founded in 2009, the American Prize is a series of nonprofit, national competitions designed to recognize and reward the very best in the performing arts in the United States.
At the University of Arkansas, Dr. Delaplain teaches courses on oboe and music theory and serves as the university’s woodwind area coordinator. She is the founding organizer of the SHE Festival of Music, an annual international festival to promote music written by women.
An esteemed oboist, Dr. Delaplain actively performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. She has released several albums, including Souvenirs and Her Voice, a collection of music by women for oboe and piano. Dr. Delaplain has also written an oboe reed-making book, My Kingdom for a Reed!, and co-hosts Something to Crow About!, a YouTube channel dedicated to oboe reed-making.
Dr. Delaplain began her undergraduate education at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and ultimately earned her bachelor of music degree in oboe performance from the University of Michigan. She received her master of music degree in oboe performance from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and her doctor of musical arts degree in oboe performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.