Binkley, Linda

Biography

Oboist Lindabeth Binkley's performances have been lauded by critics as a "classic triumph of lightness, delicacy, and expressiveness." As Professor of Oboe at Central Michigan University, she brings a wealth of orchestral experience, having served as Principal Oboist with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra (1998–2009) and held positions with the Colorado Symphony, Arizona Opera, and Central City Opera.

She currently serves as Principal Oboist of both the Flint Symphony Orchestra and the prestigious Sunriver Music Festival in Bend and Sunriver, Oregon, while maintaining an active orchestral career throughout Michigan with ensembles including the Ann Arbor Symphony, Lansing Symphony, and Lexington Bach Festival.

Beyond the orchestra, Dr. Binkley is deeply committed to solo and chamber music. In 2020, she completed a large collaborative recording project, From Earth & Sky: Music of Jenni Brandon (BGS 545) for Blue Griffin Records, which included the world premiere recording of Wood Song for Solo Oboe, a work she commissioned from composer Jenni Brandon with support from a CMU Faculty Research & Creative Endeavors grant. She also performs regularly with the Powers Woodwind Quintet, a CMU faculty ensemble, and can be heard on their 2017 Centaur Records release, Hidden Gems (CEN 3528). As a soloist, she appears frequently at International Double Reed Society Conferences and as a visiting guest artist at college campuses across the United States.

A dedicated teacher, Dr. Binkley's students have been accepted into prominent summer programs such as the Rocky Ridge Music Center, the Vianden International Music Festival (Luxembourg), Marrowstone Music Festival, Idyllwild Arts Academy, and the Dacoda Skidmore Chamber Music Institute, as well as graduate programs at institutions including Indiana University–Bloomington, the University of Colorado–Boulder, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Shanghai Orchestra Academy, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Arizona State University, and Florida State University. Each summer, she and Professor MaryBeth Minnis co-host a reed-making camp for high school oboists and bassoonists at the CMU School of Music. Dr. Binkley is also a frequent presenter at music education conferences, including the Michigan Music Conference, the Texas Music Educators Association Conference, and the Annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago.

Originally from Michigan, Dr. Binkley holds degrees from Central Michigan University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of Arizona, where her primary teachers were Roger Rehm, Peter Cooper, and Dr. Neil Tatman. She performs on a Royal 125 oboe by F.Lorée of Paris.

Recent Scholarships

"From Earth & Sky: Music of Jenni Brandon," Blue Griffin Records, 2020

Author. "Updating the Reed Making Experience for Today's Students." The Double Reed: The Quarterly Journal of the International Double Reed Society, 42(4), 125-143.

Presenter. 2017 International Double Reed Society Conference (Appleton, WI). "Inspiring Curiosity in Today's College Musicians: The CMU Double Reed Baroque Project."

Presenter. 2016 International Double Reed Society Conference (Columbus, GA). "Reed Class Reinvented: Developing Independent Reed Makers in the Applied Studio Setting."

"Hidden Gems" - Powers Woodwind Quintet - White Pine Records, 2016