Selected Former Students
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“[Sakakeeny] has had an extraordinary class of alumni . . ."

​- Andrea Kalyn, President, New England Conservatory of Music

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Fei Xie

• Minnesota Orchestra, Principal Bassoon
• Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Former Principal Bassoon
• University of Minnesota, Bassoon Instructor
• Houston Grand Opera, Former Second Bassoon

Monica Ellis

• Imani Winds, bassoonist, founding member
• Internationally known chamber musician and clinician 
• Faculty: Curtis Institute, Manhattan School

Jenni Groyon Hill

• Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, Second Bassoon
• Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, Former Associate Principal and Second Bassoon
• Former New World Symphony fellow

Max Pippinich

• Kansas City Symphony, Second Bassoon
• Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, Former Second Bassoon
• Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Former Second Bassoon

Jian Huang

• Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Bassoon
• Augusta Symphony (GA), Former Principal Bassoon
• IDRS Gillet-Fox Competition, Honorable Mention (2004)

Yunfeng "Eric" Yao

• Ningbo Symphony Orchestra (China), Principal Bassoon
• ​Former Civic Orchestra of Chicago fellow

Amanda Turley

• Blue Moon Bassoon, Owner/Proprietor 
• Austin Symphonic Band, Executive Director
• Bocal Majority Bassoon Camp, Instructor

Chris Witt

• Phoenix Symphony, principal bassoon

Andrew Cuneo

• Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Principal Bassoon
• Houston Grand Opera, Former Second Bassoon
  

Rebekah Heller

• International Contemporary Ensemble, Artistic Director and bassoonist
• Internationally known soloist
• Faculty: Mannes School

Thomas Schneider

• Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Principal Bassoon
• Former New World Symphony fellow
• Principal bassoon Wintergreen Music Festival

Sean Gordon

• National Symphony Orchestra, Principal Conctrabassoon
• Former Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Contrabassoon
  
• Former Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, Second Bassoon

Nicolasa Kuster

• University of the Pacific, Associate Professor of  Bassoon
• Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Bassoon Symposium, Co-Founder and Director
• Stockton Symphony Orchestra, Principal Bassoon
• Former Civic Orchestra of Chicago fellow

Katherine Young

• School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Instructor
  
• Freelance Artist and Composer
• Commissions by Spektral Quartet, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Third Coast Percussion, and many others

Leigh Miller Muñoz

• Kansas City Conservatory, Assistant Professor of Bassoon
• Go Bassoon Reeds, Owner/Proprietor

Ian Schneiderman

• Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Acting Asst. Principal Bassoon

Benjamin Atherholt

• Former Louisiana Philharmonic, Assistant Principal bassoon
• Houston Symphony, Acting Contrabassoon (2011-13)
• ​University of Tennesee Knoxville, assistant professor of Bassoon

Leonardo Dean

• ​Orquesta Sinfónica del Sodre (Uraguay) Principal bassoon
• Former Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, Principal Bassoon
• Latin American Bassoon Academy, Professor of Bassoon
  

Stephanie Patterson

• North Carolina School for the Arts, Associate Professor of Bassoon
• Columbus State University (GA), Former Assistant Professor of Bassoon
• Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Principal Bassoon
• Wichita State University, Former Visiting Professor
• Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition, finalist (2005)

Randy Fultz

• Staff Sergeant, United States Army Field Band​
  

Briana Lehman

• Sergeant 1st Class, West Point Band, Principal Bassoon
• Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition, 3rd Prize (2010)​

Carl Gardner

• ​Technical Sergeant United States Air Force Academy Band

Guangyuan Shi

• National Opera Theatre Orchestra (Beijing China,) Principal Bassoon
  

Carly Gomez

• Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, Second Bassoon
  

Shuo "Shelly" Li

• Hawaii Symphony Orchestra,  Second Bassoon
• Atlanta Ballet, Former Acting Principal Bassoon
• Alabama Symphony, Former Acting Second Bassoon
• Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition, 2nd Prize (2010)

John Clapp

• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, VP of Operations
• Former Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, General Manager
• North Carolina Symphony, Former Personnel Manager
• Grand Rapids Symphony, Former Assistant Principal and Second Bassoon
  

Rebecca Cain

• Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, V.P. of Operations
  
• Baltimore Symphony, Former Director of Operations
• Tucson Symphony, Former Second Bassoon

Hunter Gordon

• Louisiana Philharmonic, Principal bassoon
• Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Former acting assistant principal bassoon
• ​Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Acting Second Bassoon 

Michael Matushek

• Louisiana Philharmonic, Second Bassoon
• Tulane University, Bassoon Instructor
• CityMusic Cleveland, Former Bassoon

Drew Pattison

• Oberlin Conservatory, Associate Professor of Bassoon
  
• Round Top Festival Institute, bassoon instructor
  
• DePaul University, Former Bassoon Instructor
• Houston Grand Opera, Former Second Bassoon
  
• Former Civic Orchestra of Chicago fellow​
  

Benjamin Roidl-Ward

• University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana, Assistant Professor of Bassoon
  
• Former Civic Orchestra of Chicago fellow
• Loop38 New Music Collective, Founding Member
• IDRS Young Artist Competition, 3rd Prize (2013)

Yunle "Leon" Feng

• Southwest University (China), Professor of Orchestral Conducting, Director of Orchestras
• Hangzhou Youth Orchestra, Former Conductor

Thomas English

• Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, lecturer of Bassoon.
  
• Principal Bassoonist, West Virginia Symphony
  
• Former Assistant Principal Bassoon, National Symphony Orchestra
• Former Principal Bassoon, Harrisburg Symphony
• Atlanta Symphony, Guest Assistant Principal Bassoon
• New York Philharmonic, Extra Bassoon
• IDRS Young Artist Competition, 2nd Prize (2013)
  

Oleksiy Zakharov

• New York City, active freelance musician
• Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Former Second Bassoon
• Los Angeles Philharmonic, Former Acting Associate Principal 

Amelia Del Caño

• Solo-Fagott, Würth Philharmoniker, Künzelsau, Germany
  
• Former New World Symphony fellow

Joshua Sechan

• Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Principal Bassoon
  

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Edward Parsons

• Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Administrator
  
• New World Symphony, Former Administrative Director
• New York City Ballet, Former Associate Principal Bassoon

Jennifer Devroye

• Shaw, Fishman, Glantz & Towbin LLC, Attorney
• Former New World Symphony fellow
• Former Civic Orchestra of Chicago fellow

Joycelyn Eby

• Harvard Business School, PHD Candidate
  
• Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition, 3rd Prize (2001)

bassoon teacher

bassoon lesson

bassoon student

bassoon job

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