Biography
Janet Rarick has enjoyed a diverse career as an oboist/performer and educator. She has traversed the worlds of symphony, opera, ballet, and chamber music, as well as early childhood and advanced university education.
As Associate Professor of Music Career Development at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, she coaches chamber music, teaches classes in professional development and performance skills, and directs outreach activities. She is the program administrator for SSM’s Music Career and Skills Enhancement Courses, offering a variety of courses for performance majors in the master’s degree program.
Ms. Rarick directs JUMP! (Just For U Music Program!), a student-run and faculty-mentored outreach program that produces concerts in the Greater Houston Area. Additionally, she is the faculty advisor for two student-led programs at SSM, guiding students to broaden their career perspectives and hone leadership skills: New Art/New Music performances at the Moody Center for the Arts and The Sviatoslav Richter Fund for Music Outreach.
Serving the arts, Ms. Rarick has been a career advisor at Chamber Music America’s annual conferences. She is a member of Young Audiences of Houston’s Education Committee and was a panelist at The League of America Orchestras 2024 annual meeting discussing Skills You Need for Orchestra Success. She is the creator of Navigating Music Careers, a Rice University online resource that explores many aspects of building and maintaining a successful career in music.
As an ATI-certified Alexander Technique teacher Ms. Rarick teaches classes in the technique for SSM students and Rice University undergraduates. In the summer Ms. Rarick offers introductory AT classes at the Music Academy of the West and at the Interlochen Center for the Arts 1-Week Intensives.
Beginning her professional career in Minneapolis, Ms. Rarick was a founding member of the Aurora Wind Quintet, performing regularly in the Twin Cities and giving many educational programs for young people under the auspices of the Minnesota Orchestra. After moving to Houston, Texas, Ms. Rarick became the Principal Oboist of The Texas Chamber Orchestra. She was a core member of the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera Orchestras for over 20 years and collaborated with SSM faculty members in many chamber music recitals at Rice. During this time, she performed at various music festivals throughout the U.S., including the Marlboro Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, and the Park City Chamber Music Festival.