Elizabeth is an avid performer and music educator. She currently often performs and teaches in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida

Venezuelan-American oboist Elizabeth Pérez-Hickman brings a vivid storytelling approach and expressive musicality to her performances across orchestral, chamber, and solo settings. She is a strong advocate for diversity and accessibility in classical music, and she strives to connect audiences of all backgrounds through both performance and community engagement.

Elizabeth currently studies at the Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship from both MSM and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, under the guidance of Sherry Sylar, Associate Principal Oboe of the New York Philharmonic. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University on the Excellence in Music Leadership Full Scholarship, where she studied with Nicholas Stovall and Melissa Hooper. She graduated and received numerous honors, including the President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts, the Evergreen House Foundation Artist Scholarship, and the Dean’s Grant to record works by minority composers. Her early training began at Interlochen Arts Academy as a full-scholarship student of Dane Philipsen, where she was awarded the Young Artist Award, the school’s highest distinction.

As an orchestral performer, Elizabeth has appeared with the New World Symphony, American Pops Orchestra, Baltimore Philharmonic, Bach in Baltimore, Westside Chamber players, and the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. She has performed with many notable conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Michael Morgan, James Judd, Joseph Young, Leslie Dunner, Marin Alsop, Leonard Slatkin, and Michael Tilson Thomas, among others. Notable appearances include performances at the 75th Anniversary NATO Summit in Washington D.C., at the Library of Congress, and at major venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall. She has also performed with popular artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Derrick Hodge, Young Jeezy, Tori Kelly, J'Nai Bridges, Nic Rouleau, and Natascia Diaz. In her solo and chamber performances, she actively champions composers from underrepresented backgrounds and brings classical music to spaces and communities that rarely have access to live performances, including rehab shelters, hospitals, libraries, and public museums. Beyond the stage, Elizabeth’s work reflects her deep commitment to equity in the arts. She has presented at national conferences and symposia hosted by El Sistema USA, the League of American Orchestras, the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA), and the Eastman School of Music, speaking on topics of access, representation, and mental health in music and music education. Elizabeth hopes to continue to build pathways for young musicians from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds 

When she isn’t performing or making reeds, Elizabeth enjoys photography, managing social media for music organizations, and dog-sitting in her New York neighborhood. She performs on both oboe and English horn, and occasionally oboe d’amore.