Summer 2024:

I am thrilled to have been invited to perform Joan Tower's Red Maple with the IDRS Festival Orchestra in the opening gala of the International Double Reed Society conference in Flagstaff, Arizona this July! 

Megan Lanz and I will also be featured as chamber recitalists on a program showcasing world premieres of new commissions by Theresa Martin and Asha Srinivasan. Join us for a wonderful week of double reed music!
Spring 2024:

Another successful BassoonaRAMa returned to Colorado State University, this time in person with special guest artist Dr. Jacqueline Wilson! We hosted over 40 double reed players from across northern Colorado for recitals, masterclasses, lectures, and a combined double reed band.
Winter 2023:

The results are in, and I am thrilled to have been named first honorable mention in the 2023 American Prize competitions in both categories of Performance of American Music and Instrumental Performance.

It's also concerto season! What an honor to perform with the CSU Symphony Orchestra, CSU Symphonic Band, and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestras of Atlanta, all with in a two month period. Contact me directly for live-streaming and ticketing information!
​Fall 2023:

I am excited to kick off the new school year with my Virtuoso Series faculty recital, titled "Home and Away." This program begins and ends with works by US composers and adventures to France, Argentina, Canada, and Germany in between.

The fall will continue with appearances at the North Carolina and Nebraska Music Educators Association Conferences and the Shepard Symposium for Social Justice.
​Summer 2023:

The first two books of my bassoon method series are now available in print via TrevCo-Varner Music and as e-books through my web storefront. The Reed Making book is a start-to-finish approach to making stage ready reeds from split bassoon cane, and the Daily Routine book presents a sequence of progressive fundamentals exercises to improve response, intonation, fluidity, intonation, and tone on a daily basis.
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The Colorado ACDA chapter was so accommodating to invite me to present this summer as one of their three guest clinicians, even though I had to attend virtually all the way from the International Double Reed Society conference in Thailand! It was such a joy to talk about important issues with them in my session, "Diversifying Curriculum: Representation, Risks, and Responsible Pedagogy."
Spring 2023:

Update: New Music USA has published an article of mine entitled "Diversifying Curriculum: Representation, Risks, and Responsible Pedagogy," where I outline five steps to increasing diverse representation in your programming in an ethical manner. I have been invited to follow up this article with presentations to the Boulder Valley School District and CSU's chapter of CNAfME.

​I am honored and excited to be named a national semifinalist for the American Prize in Instrumental Performance (professional division)! Stay tuned for announcements as the competition continues to the finalist round and winner announcements.
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The spring kicks off with a bang at the Colorado Music Educators Association state conference, where I am presenting a showcase session discussing the ethical considerations of tokenism, representation, and pedagogical responsibility in curricular revisions for repertoire diversification. Big topics for the big thinkers teaching in Colorado - reach out if you would like a session presented in your school, studio, or organization!
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On the road again!  In preparation for our upcoming recital and recording project and as we dive into several new and exciting commissions, Megan Lanz and I have been invited to perform a new transcription of Jenni Brandon's Going to the Sun: Snapshots from Glacier National Park at the Music by Women Festival at the Mississippi University for Women.
Fall 2022:

Just as the weather dips cooler in Colorado, I am excited to head down south for a performance and teaching tour of three universities in Georgia!  The first week in November will include a two day residency (recital, lecture, and masterclass) at the University of Georgia, masterclass at Georgia State University, and guest lecture and masterclass at Kennesaw State University.

The fall semester at Colorado State will conclude with our fabulous CSU Honor Band experience, including a packed-house concert by the CSU Wind Symphony. I am honored to join them onstage to perform Dana Wilson's Avatar for our hundreds of visiting high school musicians!
Summer 2022:

Exciting motion on the music front! So thrilled to share that Megan Lanz and I are New Music America Creator Development Fund awardees! Our project is a new mental health exploration for flute and bassoon by Frank Horvat, diving in to the “ghosts” that haunt us as we struggle with grabbing for control in life, learning to trust ourselves and others, and believing that we are enough.
Spring 2022:

After a busy fall kicking off new music initiatives in my primary studio at Colorado State University, it is so nice to return to the solo stage myself with a program of "Lines and Loops," featuring wonderful collaborations and a world premiere of Kevin Poelking's There and Back for bassoon and piano.

Be sure to tune in to Iowa Public Radio (4pm CDT) for the rebroadcast of my 2020 performance of Joan Tower's Red Maple with the wcfsymphony, too!

​As ensemble playing returns, as well, it has been such a treat to join the rosters of both Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and Colorado Bach Ensemble. A busy spring of bassooning!
Summer 2021:

This summer kicks off with some fresh recordings of new American bassoon music for an invited recital to the International Double Reed Society's second virtual symposium. All events will be free online from July 26-31, so be sure to check out the schedule for yours truly, in collaboration with some wonderful Colorado colleagues!

Additionally, keep your eyes on your mailboxes for the summer issue of the National Band Association journal for my upcoming article - "Understanding Practice Engagement: 'Too Hot,' 'Too Cold,' and The Goldilocks Zone"
Spring 2021:

I am honored to join the staff and executive board of the International Double Reed Society as Communications Coordinator! Be sure to check out our website and find us on your social media of choice to stay up to date with the happenings of the global double reed community!

My second faculty recital at the CSU University Center for the Arts will be available on-demand on February 22. Reserve your seat now and tune in any time before May to hear part two of my exploration of the "New American Bassoon," including a world premiere performance and two works from my next CD project, American Bassoon Voices.

We are now in the final production stages of the album recording of James Stephenson's Dialogue of Self and Soul that will also be included on American Bassoon Voices. Stay tuned for an early release of this track this spring!
Winter 2020:

With many live performance and collaboration opportunities still up in the air, I am thrilled that #BassoonistsTalk is going strong!

If you missed my fall faculty recital at Colorado State, you can also find it on demand through December 31. Cozy up and enjoy some new bassoon music!

Double or Nothing is streaming on Spotify! You can still snag a digital download via Mark Masters or a signed disc straight from my storefront, but now you can take us everywhere your internet and data roam.
Fall 2020:

I am thrilled to begin my first semester on faculty at Colorado State University! Check out my pillars of study below then click the link for full information about the studio.
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  • Solo Performance: Bassoonists at CSU receive weekly individual private lessons, group studio and masterclass, and a reed class. Applied lessons incorporate solo repertoire and standard audition excerpts from the late Renaissance to contemporary style eras, connecting each to the historical significance and relation to the development of the instrument from its earliest predecessors. Weekly masterclasses include mock auditions, peer reviewed performances, special topics discussions, and fundamentals classes, and reed class addresses the variables, processes, and considerations for preparing and adjusting bassoon reeds from the moment the bamboo cane is cut to the finished, stage-ready product. Students have access to a reed workshop room stocked with gouger, profiler, shapers, and finishing supplies for their reed making needs.
  • Ensemble Performance: CSU bassoonists are assigned to full orchestra, wind band, staged performance ensembles, and chamber groups based on audition, preparation, and interest each semester. Both conducted and unconducted ensemble experiences are critical to a well-rounded musical development, and the bassoon studio at CSU is actively involved in all performance opportunities at the university, as well as throughout the region.
  • Pedagogy: Bassoonists at CSU engage in real-life service learning via peer taught masterclasses with fellow studio members and local school outreach programs, coordinated by Dr. Bellamy. All fundamentals, etudes, and repertoire are explored through both a performative lens and a pedagogical one to understand how best to sequence instruction for future students or develop their own most efficient practice techniques.
  • Innovation: Students are encouraged to develop their own personal brand of performance and teaching style, both through pursuit of extra- and cross-curricular research and performance, as well as through engagement in the ever-growing fields of arts entrepreneurship, web development, and social media management. This may take the form of joint research theses with departments across campus, new digital performances in the rising wave of virtual music engagement, bassoon performance in non-traditional styles or venues, and many more.
Summer 2020:

The results are in, and I am so pleased to announce that I was awarded first honorable mention for the 2019 Ernst Bacon Award in the professional division of The American Prize. All honored works are featured on my first album, and my focus on new American music will carry into the next season, with the first recital of solo music being live-streamed from the CSU campus. More details coming soon!

And yes, I am teaching online! My preferred mechanism is a password-protected Zoom format, where I use a high quality external microphone and dual camera setup to be able to clearly alternate fluidly from full front wide lens to an HD quality webcam for reed work, fingering and embouchure demonstrations, and any necessary repairs. All lessons can be recorded and shared via mp4 files following our session. Register for a lesson here to be put in touch with me directly for scheduling single or recurring lessons or coachings, and stay tuned to my Instagram and Facebook for a series of free drop-in group sessions throughout the summer!
Spring 2020:

Unfortunately, the 2020 conference for the International Double Reed Society has been cancelled, due to travel and public health concerns associated with the COVID-19 epidemic, but I am proud to share that not one, but two, proposed performances of mine had been invited for this year's conference. I was originally slated for two chamber music features - one showcase performance of Valerie Coleman's Rubispheres and one full recital of new double reed trios by Andrew List, Professor of Composition at the Berklee College of Music. While I am saddened to miss the opportunity in my own Iowa backyard to perform with and for such talented colleagues, I am beyond thrilled for the extra-long, extra-awesome 50th anniversary IDRS Conference next year, in beautiful Boulder, Colorado!

Stay tuned for more information also regarding the rescheduling of the Lincoln Center concert premiering John Steinmetz' Illusion of Separateness with the Herricks Chamber Orchestra.
Winter 2019:

I am thrilled to be recently announced as a semi-finalist in this year's The American Prize professional division for the Ernst Bacon Award for the performance of American Music!

The year kicked off with a splendid winter trip to the Nassau All-County Honor Band and a fabulous showing at the New Music Festival of the Flute New Music Consortium, where I had the pleasure of performing Valerie Coleman's Rubispheres for the composer herself!

What's next, you ask? I've just locked in two pre-concert talks for my upcoming regional premiere of Joan Tower's Red Maple with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony. Stay tuned to the social channels for specifics!
Fall 2019:

This year's concerto appearances are set!  I am so thrilled to be appearing not once, twice, or three times... but FOUR... with stellar ensembles committed to new music, American music, and music by women composers.  Check out the announcement, and stay tuned to my calendar of events for specifics.
Summer 2019:

New developments from the podium - in addition to returning in my capacity as Wind Ensemble Conductor for the New York Summer School for the Arts this year, I have two exciting new opportunities moving forward.  In the fall semester, I will serve as Music Director and Conductor for the UNI Theatre production of Cabaret, my first pit foray without a bassoon!
Spring 2019:

I am thrilled to be headed to the 2019 conference of the International Double Reed Society as an invited recitalist! The electronics program I will be presenting includes DEEP by Alex Shapiro, Arbeiten fur Alberich by Jeffrey Funderburk, and Traces by Bret Bohman. See you in Tampa!

The Kairos Trio performed two new works by women composers at the Great Plains conference of the College Music Society, as well as for the UNI Women Composers Concert. Happy International Women’s Day!
Winter 2018:

The Kairos Trio has been invited to perform at the 2019 ClarinetFest of the International Clarinet Association! We will be performing Nancy Hill Cobb's Suite for Winds and our newest commission, Theresa Martin's Chron3ffect in Knoxville, Tennessee next June.

Double or Nothing is eligible for Grammy nomination in two categories - Best Album and Best Instrumental Solo Performance. Exercise your right to vote, and please consider our album!
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​​Fall 2018: 

The album is released! Find Double or Nothing on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, Naxos, and directly from the Mark Masters website.

Also, wcfsymphony trading cards are in.  Find me in person for a signed contrabassoon rookie card.  :)
​Summer 2018: 

Mark loved the new bassoon version of Deep so much - and who wouldn't? - that he has requested my permission to include it on his first compilation album, Mark Moods, Vol. I.  Check out that and all of Alex Shapiro's other excellent music!