About

Dr. Shane Werts is the Assistant Professor of Oboe at Northern Arizona University's Kitt School of Music.  He currently plays principal oboe with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra.

 

Previously Dr. Werts has held orchestral positions with the Amarillo Symphony (English Horn and Utility Oboe), Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra (Second Oboe), and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago (Associate Member).  Previous academic appointments include Colorado State University - Pueblo (Adjunct Professor of Oboe), and with the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (Associate Instructor of Oboe).  He has performed with orchestras nationwide including the New World Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the National Orchestral Institute. 

 

Dr. Werts has performed internationally, including a performance of Oscar Navarro's Legacy Concerto in Mexico City in 2025.  He has also performed in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary.  Dr. Werts can be heard playing principal oboe under the Naxos label on the 2018 Grammy Nominated album "Ruggles, Stucky, Harbison," with the National Orchestral Institute Festival Orchestra.

 

In addition to teaching and performing, Dr. Werts has experience working with non-profit organizations in arts administration.  He is currently on the team of directors that make up the Snake River Music Festival, based in Dillon, Colorado.  He has previously served as the president of the Summit Community Orchestra (Frisco, CO) and has collaborated with the National Repertory Orchestra and Alpenglow Music Festival with Music Education programs. In these roles he has fostered partnerships with local government, developed educational programs, planned numerous performances, and collaborated with other local arts organizations.  Dr. Werts a strong advocate for accessibility in music education and has experience teaching as the band director at Summit Middle School in Frisco, Colorado.

 

Dr. Werts has presented and performed at the International Double Reed Society Conferences in Indianapolis, Flagstaff, Boulder, Phoenix, Oklahoma, and Ohio. Additionally, he has presented and performed at the Colorado Music Educators Association conference.​​​

 

Dr. Werts has earned his degrees from Indiana University (DM and MM), and Colorado State University - Fort Collins (Bachelor of Music Education).  His primary instructors include Roger Roe, Linda Strommen, Dr. Gary Moody, and Dr. Kenneth Evans.  Dr. Werts is a Howarth artist and has professional affiliations with the National Association for Music Education, the International Double Reed Society, and the College Music Society.