UK oboist ToniMarie Marchioni wins 2026 Great Teacher Award
Marchioni was among six faculty members honored by the UK Alumni Association in February for their dedication to teaching and mentorship. The Great Teacher Award, established in 1961, is the university's longest-running recognition of teaching excellence, with recipients selected through nominations from their students.
The award recognizes Marchioni's distinctive approach to music education, which blends her extensive performance background with a philosophy of empowering students to become independent musicians. "One of my teaching goals is to advance my students to a point where they no longer need me," Marchioni said. "To make them their own best teachers, to help them know how to problem solve, how to practice."
Marchioni's credentials include degrees from Harvard University, where she earned her bachelor's degree, and The Juilliard School, where she earned both her master's and doctoral degrees in musical arts. She has performed as a guest musician with major orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Nashville Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestra, where she served as acting second oboe during the 2017-18 season.
Her approach to teaching extends beyond technical instruction. "I teach the oboe. That's my job," she said. "But so much of my job has nothing to do with the oboe. There's something incredibly special about the relationships that I get to be involved in here." In 2022, she released her first commercial album, "Légende: Concours for Oboe and Piano," featuring French works recorded with pianist Kevin Murphy.
Marchioni joined the UK faculty in 2013 and is a founding member of the Maribo Trio, the university's faculty reed ensemble. Each Great Teacher Award recipient received a $4,000 stipend and a commemorative award. The university highlighted five other faculty members as award winners across various colleges.