Oboist Margaret Butler grew up in Rhode Island where she began her studies on the recorder and flute. A love for the sound of the Baroque oboe led her to study the modern oboe. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music and her Master of Music degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Margaret participated in the Banff Summer Music Festival where she was a featured soloist and has also played in Graz, Austria with the American Institute of Musical Studies.

She was principal oboist for the Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and Palm Beach Opera before joining the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 2002. In 2007, she played principal oboe for the Santa Fe Opera Company and participated as a soloist in the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. The following spring, she was invited to play as guest principal oboist for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In addition to performing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Margaret is principal oboist for the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, is on faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and serves on the Board of Directors of Early Music Now.