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About Me

Though there are certainly bassoonists that play contrabassoon only grudgingly, I relish the contrabassoon and consider myself equally a contrabassoonist and bassoonist. I am hopeful that the days of neglect and derision of this exceptional and fascinating instrument are nearly at their end. To this extent, I have performed several duo recitals with renowned contrabassoon soloist Sue Nigro, including at the International Double-Reed Society convention in summer 2017.

I have served as contrabassoonist/third bassoonist (and very occasionally tenor banjoist) with the Tulsa Symphony since the orchestra’s founding in 2006. TSO employs an innovative musician-led model, which integrates its performing musicians into all aspects of orchestra management and operations. In May 2018, my bassoon colleagues and I will be featured soloists in TSO’s performance of Michael Daugherty's Hell’s Angels for solo bassoon quartet and orchestra.

I also serve as contrabassoonist/third bassoonist with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville, Arkansas), likewise since the orchestra’s founding in 2011. In May 2012, I was a featured soloist with the group, performing Julius Fucík's Der Alte Brummbär for solo contrabassoon and orchestra. In 2017, I began the position of music librarian/second bassoonist with the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra (Bentonville, Arkansas). Additionally, I regularly sub with the Fort Smith Symphony and Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to my private lesson studio, I am the artist instructor of bassoon and oboe at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Though I primarily perform on bassoon and contrabassoon, I also have a keen interest in early music performance (primarily on recorders, but also crumhorns, curtal, and sackbuts) and help manage the Northwest Arkansas Early Music Society.

Lessons and Tutoring

Bassoon Lessons

I have over twenty years of experience teaching private lessons to bassoonists of all skill levels. Whether you have a sixth-grader looking to get started off on the right track, are a high-school senior intending to major in music in college, or are an adult hoping to dust off an old instrument from the closet; I am happy to help you get the most out of music and the bassoon.

My studio rate is $50/hr. (Lessons given outside the studio may also include travel expenses.) The weekly lesson durations I find most productive for students are as follows: 30 minutes for middle-school and most junior-high students, 45 minutes for advanced junior high and most high-school students, and 60 minutes for adults and high-school students intending to major in music in college. I also offer professional, handmade bassoon reeds for $30 each ($22 for current lessons students).

Current students will find the following links helpful:

If you have any questions or would like to set up lessons, please send me a message at moc.noossabartnocbus@obobr.

Contrabassoon Lessons

For adults (including college students) with access to a contrabassoon: $50/hr.

Arrangements

All non-free arrangements will be delivered via email within 24 hours of purchase.

  • Ravel’s String Quartet

    arranged for wind quintet

    Instrumentation: Flute & Bass Flute, Oboe & English Horn, Clarinet in B♭ & A, Horn, Bassoon

    Bass flute ossia provided for alto flute or flute; English horn ossia provided for oboe with low A.

    $15 USD 

  • Glazunov’s Saxophone Quartet

    for double-reed quartet

    Instrumentation: Oboe, English Horn, Bassoon, Contrabassoon

    Ossias provided for extreme upper register contrabassoon passages.

    $15 USD 

  • Strauss’s “Von der Wissenschaft”

    from Also Sprach Zarathustra, for contrabassoon octet

    Optional subcontrabassoon instead of eighth contrabassoon

    $8 USD 

  • Chopin’s Prelude No. 4

    for contrabassoon octet

    Fifth contrabassoon requires low A or an extension.

    The E0 at the end can be be transposed up an octave.

    FREE Download

  • Mussorgsky’s Il Vecchio Castello

    for solo contrabassoon and piano

    Low G♯ extension required.

    My sincere apologies for the bad recording, I plan to record this again.

    FREE Download

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