About

Kate Bruns is currently the Acting English Horn/Third Oboe for the Nashville Symphony. Prior to her appointment, she thoroughly enjoyed her time as an Oboe Fellow with the New World Symphony, playing under Artistic Director Stéphane Denève and performing a Solo Spotlight recital through the organization’s BLUE program. Before joining NWS, she held the positions of Second Oboe in the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Second Oboe/English Horn in the Richmond (Indiana) Symphony Orchestra, and associate member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra for the 2022-23 season. Her primary teachers include Richard Killmer, John Dee, and Pamela Ajango.

As a freelancer in the Midwest, Kate has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sarasota Orchestra, The Syracuse Orchestra, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. In her summers, Kate participated in the National Repertory Orchestra, the Monteux School and Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival, Maine Chamber Music Seminar, and Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival. 

Kate graduated with a Master of Music degree in oboe performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music, where she performed as part of the Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and the Kazaam Winds Quintet. She also enjoyed teaching oboe at the Eastman Community School in her time there.

In 2020, Kate graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Music in oboe performance and a minor in physics. While at Illinois, Kate performed as principal of the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the University of Illinois Wind Symphony and also played in a variety of chamber ensembles. Through the school of music, she was awarded two Achievement Awards for excellence in playing and the Mark H. Hindsley Award for outstanding musical contribution to the symphonic bands. She was also a finalist in the 2020 University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra concerto competition. 

Kate is a native of Carmel, Indiana. Aside from playing the oboe, she enjoys climbing, running, and crafting.