Keslie Pharis is an oboist and educator known for her expressive playing and creative approach, shaped by her extensive background in ballet. Originally from Amarillo, Texas, she has recently performed with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, and Madison Bach Musicians. Her recent artistic project “Musical Landscapes and Reminiscence” received a UW–Madison Graduate Creative Arts Award and was selected for presentation at the 2025 International Double Reed Society Conference in Indianapolis.

Dr. Pharis fosters both technical excellence and individual artistry in her oboe students at the University of Idaho Lionel Hampton School of Music, where she joined the faculty as Visiting Lecturer of Oboe in January 2026. Previously, she held Lecturer of Oboe positions at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she was the Bolz Oboe Teaching Assistant and a Paul Collins Distinguished Graduate Fellow, and a Bachelor of Music with Distinction from Indiana University, where she was a recipient of the Jacobs School of Music Premiere Young Artist Award.

A former Lecturer of Music Business at UW–Madison, Dr. Pharis combines her artistic and administrative expertise, holding a Master of Business Administration from West Texas A&M University and a doctoral minor in Arts Administration from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the Wisconsin School of Business. She has also served in leadership roles including as the President of the Capitol City Band Association Board of Directors and President of Classical Connections at the Jacobs School of Music. An avid chamber musician, Dr. Pharis performs regularly with 012Five, LHSOM’s faculty modern wind quintet. Her other interests include piano, voice, swimming, playing board games, social dancing, and spending time with family and friends.