Libby Van Cleve

Director

Libby Van Cleve is a scholar and performer with a specialty in contemporary American music.  As Director of Oral History of American Music (OHAM) at Yale University, she has conducted numerous interviews with major figures in American music.  Along with OHAM’s founder, Vivian Perlis, she is co-author of the award-winning book and CD publication Composers’ Voices from Ives to Ellington, Yale University Press.  Using materials from the archive, Van Cleve co-produced podcasts on Charles Ives, Aaron Copland, and Virgil Thompson.  She is the author of various articles, program notes, and liner notes; these writings are frequently generated from her interviews.   Complementing her work at OHAM, Ms. Van Cleve is recognized as one of the foremost interpreters of contemporary and chamber music for the oboe.  Her performances can be heard on a variety of CD labels, and she is the author of Oboe Unbound: Contemporary Techniques, Rowman and Littlefield Press.  She recently released oboe performance editions of Bach’s first three cello suites, T.D. Ellis Music Publishing.  Van Cleve received her DMA from Yale School of Music, her MFA from California Institute of the Arts, and her BA, Magna cum Laude, from Bowdoin College. She serves as adjunct faculty at Wesleyan University and Connecticut College.