Naomi Israel is a dedicated educator and musician teaching and performing in the metro-Atlanta area. Following a lifelong love of pedagogy, Ms. Israel is most passionate about inspiring and nurturing the next generation of oboists and musicians. As an educator, she strives to help students to not only achieve their highest musical potential, but to approach music through an interdisciplinary lens, connecting health, academics, and the broader human experience. She believes in the power of the artistic process to foster universal connection, critical thinking, and personal growth. When asked about her teaching philosophy, Ms. Israel said: “I see lessons as a collaborative experience; I focus on student-centered learning, using the student’s goals and interests to guide them in their growth as musicians and people. While not every student will go on to pursue music as a career, I believe in using music education to promote skill development that will help my students in future academic, professional, or personal realms.” Additionally, growing up as an athlete taught Ms. Israel to research and promote the interconnection of physicality and music-making. She uses this knowledge to instill efficient and sustainable practice habits and body awareness in her students. She currently teaches lessons and sectionals to students in Cobb, Fayette, Cherokee, Gwinnett, and Carroll counties.
A versatile performer, Ms. Israel has performed in a wide variety of ensembles and genres, ranging from symphony orchestras and wind ensembles to chamber groups and pit orchestras for operas and musical theater performances. She can be regularly heard with the Lauda Musicam Baroque Orchestra, Atlanta Wind Symphony, and APWinds band, but enjoys a freelance career performing in churches, recitals, and as a substitute musician across the state of Georgia.
Ms. Israel is committed to making music accessible, relevant, and engaging through performance, education, and outreach. While she enjoys using her own performances to explore underrepresented compositions, she also excites young and new musicians to engage with the oboe by teaching and performing popular music that aligns with the students’ interests. She prioritizes bringing music into the community through free performances and outreach events to assisted living centers. As a student, Ms. Israel had opportunities to engage the public with musical influences by assisting with the design of a museum exhibit centered on local musical developments, co-authoring a children’s book focusing on blues music, publishing a score preface with a publisher focused on rare scores, and writing essays and blog posts to be featured in books or local arts websites.
Naomi Israel earned her Master of Music in Oboe Performance from Columbus State University, where she studied with Dr. Susan Tomkiewicz, as well as earning a certificate in public musicology under the guidance of Dr. Reba Wissner. She was a student of Elizabeth Koch-Tiscione at Kennesaw State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
