Merideth Hite Estevez
Associate in Music
Office: 248-973-8008
Merideth plays the oboe in worship at the Kirk regularly, enriching our worship with her musical gifts. She holds the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in oboe performance from The Juilliard School and also studied at the Yale School of Music, as well as the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. As a Fulbright Scholar at the Trossingen Musikhochschule in Germany, she explored how studying baroque and modern oboe together informs and benefits the player. Merideth has also served in several capacities in church ministry, including serving as youth choir director at Westminster Presbyterian in Wilmington, Delaware and director of an exciting new arts ministry, Lumina Arts Incubator, at Grace Church UMC where she brought creatives into community for conversation, spiritual formation, and service.
Merideth's award-winning podcast, Artists for Joy, is currently in the top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide, and her first hook, The Artist's Joy: A Guide to Getting Unstuck, Embracing Imperfection, and Loving Your Creative Life, debuted at No. 1 in the Creativity category on Audible.
Since moving to Metro-Detroit, she has performed as a featured artist with Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Ann Arbor Symphony, Lansing Symphony, and Oakland Symphony.
Merideth coordinates other events and services at the Kirk, including special musical offerings and chamber music concerts. She works closely with the metro Detroit network of local artists to bring a wide range of musicians and events to our church, for the musical enrichment of the Kirk and the wider community.