Dr. Theresa Delaplain
Owner
I am one of those fortunate people who found both passion and profession at a very young age. I began my musical journey in the fourth grade when I started the violin, but I discovered my future in my elementary school orchestra where I fell in love with the mellow tones of the oboe, tones that breathed life into sound. Thanks to wonderful school programs, teachers, the constant support of my family, and my father playing Chopin and Mozart on the piano late into the night as I fell asleep, music became my life. I discovered a means of creative communication that could not be achieved in any other way. To this day, Romantic composers like Brahms, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky can energize or calm me. Occasional silence and Indian curry refuel me!
Through the years I have played across the United States, in addition to touring in Thailand, Germany and Canada. Performance is only part of the picture, with my more academic side focused on the rewarding work of teaching oboe at the University of Arkansas. Continuing to strive for professional fulfillment, I recently uncovered an additional musical niche, which added the challenge of a new venture to my musical career.
The retail market offers an opportunity to broaden my public impact through other musicians, whether novice or expert, who have their own audiences. I wasn’t looking to simply open shop but wanted to preserve and continue a long-standing, highly reputable business tradition. I purchased a 65-year-old Illinois business, Edmund Nielsen Woodwinds, which I relocated to Arkansas. Selling premiere quality reeds and reed making supplies for the oboe and bassoon allows me to help others express themselves musically.
Robert Mueller (1958-2025)
Owner
Robert Mueller has a successful career as a composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and pedagogue. At the University of Arkansas, he conducts the University Symphony orchestra and teaches music composition and theory. He has an obsessive interest in meteorology, and can often be found studying weather data and creating his own weather diagrams. Bob enjoys summers in Michigan teaching at the Interlochen Arts Camp, and he now adds business ownership and management to his many skills.
(Robert is pictured with wife Theresa and daughter Erica)
Erica Downs
Graphic Designer
Erica combines her artistic, musical and organizational skills in her position at Nielsen. She is pursuing a degree in graphic design at the New Design School, and continues performing as a violinist in the Fort Smith Symphony, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, and Arkansas Philharmonic. In addition to violin, she also studied piano and oboe, and studied art at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Dr. Lia Uribe
Bassoon Consultant
Lia teaches bassoon at the University of Arkansas, is a member of the Lyrique Quintette, and is the Principal Bassoonist of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. She has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and symphonic musician in venues across the United States and around the world. Lia is a respected pedagogue, and she brings a wealth of knowledge about bassoons, bocals, reeds, and equipment.
Josue Avelar
Bassoon Specialist
Josue Avelar is a bassoonist who actively plays in the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, Missouri Philharmonic Orchestra and is a member of the Fayette Junction Bassoons. Josue also teaches in the public school system, as well as teaching privately in the Northwest Arkansas region. He studied at the University of Arkansas with Dr. Lia Uribe.
Andrew Baker
Office Manager and Oboe Specialist
Andrew Baker is second oboist in the Springfield (MO) Symphony, and the Arkansas Philharmonic, and is third oboist in the Fort Smith Symphony and oboist in the Ozark Woodwind Quintet. He plays frequently with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Tulsa Symphony, and other regional musical organizations. Andrew earned a Bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Arkansas, where he studied with Theresa Delaplain.