Mekhi Gladden is an oboist and English-hornist from Atlanta, Georgia who is currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are a recent graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and has since been playing with numerous ensembles throughout the United States. Mekhi began studying oboe at age twelve before entering the Talent Development Program at age fifteen under the tutelage of Emily Brebach, English horn of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They later went on to study with Richard Woodhams, Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Robert Walters, Katherine Needleman, Philippe Tondre, and Elizabeth Tiscione at the Curtis Institute of Music. Mekhi has performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, and Memphis and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras as guest Principal.

They have recently been awarded First Prize in the Eric Varner Young Artist Competition, Audience Choice in the Virtual Oboe Competition, and Winner of the Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition with performance as a featured soloist with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra. Mekhi works purposefully to further diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music through their performance and advocacy. This has taken shape in their premiering of several new works for solo oboe, oboe and electronics, oboe and trumpet, and various other ensembles. They have recently worked at the Composers Conference at Avaloch as performance faculty and chamber music faculty. Their upcoming season includes a return to community concerts in retirement communities and youth communities through Astral Artists. Mekhi continues to explore through experimental improvised music – spearheaded by the People’s Music Supply centered in Philadelphia.