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, Yandel, J Balvin, 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 oboe, english horn, and oboe d'amore.

My biography could not be complete without all the programs and people who have directly changed my life and career.

My journey in classical music has only been possible because of the belief and generosity of extraordinary people and organizations. I come from an immigrant family without financial privilege, and every step of my path has been shaped by those who chose to invest in me when this career might otherwise have been out of reach. I am deeply grateful to Miami Music Project, which first made music accessible to me by providing free instruments, lessons, classes, and transportation at a young age. Through Miami Music Project and the generosity of Dan Lewis, I was able to attend Interlochen Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy, experiences that began my whole journey as a musician. I am thankful to my friends, family, and community, whose collective support through a GoFundMe allowed me to purchase and own my first instrument in high school. YOLA and their team transformed my life through mentorship, guidance, and unwavering support- from funded trial lessons and college applications to covering travel and housing for festivals, auditions, and summer programs. From the Top and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation provided my first professional instrument during my freshman year of college, the instrument I continue to play today, along with essential reed-making machines that will support me throughout my career. El Sistema USA made it possible for me to attend conservatory through scholarship support, and continues to impact my ability to pursue my graduate studies. Through the Evergreen House Foundation Scholarship, I was able to acquire my English horn, an instrument I believed would be financially out of reach until I acquired a full-time job. I am also deeply grateful to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation and the Kraft Family Foundation, whose support made my first year of graduate study possible by covering the remaining financial gap in tuition. Most recently, the Elaine and Stephen Stamas New York Philharmonic Scholarship Fund supported my ability to purchase multiple gouging machines, allowing me to begin building a sustainable reed business. I am also profoundly grateful to my teachers who saw my circumstances and met me with extraordinary care and generosity: Emily Beare, Dane Philipsen, Kimberly Everett Ganong, Melissa Hooper, Nicholas Stovall, and Sherry Sylar. Their support went far beyond the studio, from providing recording equipment, discounted lessons and reeds when I was just starting, and free reed-making materials, to advocating for my financial aid, and actively seeking work and scholarship opportunities for me. Their belief and compassion have shaped not only my playing, but my understanding of what this field can be and what it means to be an impactful teacher.

I would not be the musician or person I am today without the trust, generosity, and belief of these individuals and organizations. Their support is inseparable from my identity as an artist.