Emily Fagan is a freelance oboist and mental health advocate located in the Chicago suburbs. An Aurora native, she received her Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University and her Master’s Degree from the University of Houston. She can regularly be heard as the Principal Oboist of the Fox Valley Orchestra. Ms. Fagan has also performed with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonic, Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, Rockford Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, and other Chicago and Houston-area ensembles and chamber groups. She is a substitute oboist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 
 

In addition to her growing performance career, Ms. Fagan is a dedicated teacher. She has taught at several Illinois universities, including Northern Illinois and Northwestern, and has a highly regarded private oboe studio in the western Chicago suburbs. When not performing or teaching oboe, she leads seminars and masterclasses for music educators and their students on subjects such as teaching techniques, effective practice habits, and double reed techniques.
 

Emily is the Director of Youth and Young Adult Programming for NAMI Illinois and is passionate about using her experience as a longtime NAMI speaker and mental health advocate to help support the young people of Illinois. In addition to her work with NAMI Illinois, Emily speaks to first responders through the State of Illinois Crisis Intervention Training Program. 
 

In her free time, Emily enjoys advocating for animal welfare and spending time with her cat, Hazel, and partner, Nick.