Boston Conservatory at Berklee is pleased to host its inaugural Double Reed Weekend, a two-day celebration of musical artistry and innovation that all double reed musicians and music lovers are invited to join.
The weekend will feature master classes, performances, and artist and vendor presentations by guest artist Elizabeth Masoudnia, John Ferrillo, Michael Rabinowitz, Stuart Breczinski, Barbara LaFitte and more, along with esteemed Boston Conservatory at Berklee faculty members Amanda Hardy, Margaret Phillips, and Robert Sheena. Learn more below.
Double Reed Weekend is presented through Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Artistry in Action series, which celebrates exceptional artists and initiatives that exemplify Boston Conservatory’s core values of excellence, innovation, and community engagement. All Double Reed Weekend events are free, but registration is required for the master classes—register here.
Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia English Horn, Philadelphia Orchestra Professor, Temple University
Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia has toured the globe as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra with many of the world's finest conductors, garnering wide critical acclaim. She has premiered several solo English horn pieces written expressly for her, including concertos by Behzad Ranjbaran and Nicholas Maw, and David Ludwig's Piccola musica notturna for English horn, harp, and string quintet. She has also performed oboe concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, and she is a featured artist on a CD of Beethoven and Triebensee oboe trios (ASV Quicksilver label). Learn more about Masoudnia here.
John Ferrillo Principal Oboe, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Prior to becoming principal oboist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), John Ferrillo was principal oboe of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and second oboe of the San Francisco Symphony. He previously served on the faculties of Illinois State University, West Virginia State University, Mannes School of Music, and Juilliard School of Music, and currently serves on the faculties of New England Conservatory, Boston University, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Ferrillo can be heard on BSO Classics recordings of Mozart’s Quartet in F for oboe and strings, K.370; William Bolcom’s Serenata Notturna for oboe and strings; and Dutilleux’s Les Citations for oboe, harpsichord, double bass, and percussion. Learn more about Ferrillo here.
Stuart Breczinski Oboist, Improviser, Composer, and Educator
Stuart Breczinski is a New York-based artist with a passion for creating and sharing innovative audio with audiences of all backgrounds. A proponent of chamber and contemporary music, Breczinski is the oboist with the Academy, a program of Carnegie Hall, the Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute. He is an original member of ensemble mise-en, Ensemble Moto Perpetuo, and the Generous Ensemble, and he has performed as a chamber musician with Bang on a Can, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Signal, Contemporaneous, and Tactus, in addition to numerous independently organized collaborations with composers, performers, and other artists. Breczinski is the 2009 winner of the Paranov Concerto Competition and the 2007 winner of the Iowa Center for the Arts competition, and has twice won both the Lillian Fuchs Memorial Chamber Music Competition and the Midwest Oboe Competition. Learn more about Breczinski here.
Nancy Goeres Principal Bassoon, Pittsburgh Symphony Professor, Carnegie Mellon University and Boston University
Nancy Goeres is a performer and educator with an expansive career that has earned her critical acclaim. Prior to becoming principal bassoonist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, she was a member of the Florida Orchestra, the Caracas Philharmonic, and the Cincinnati Symphony. She was also a member of the All Star Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Schwartz, which produced a multidisc set of recordings of major orchestral repertoire. In addition, Goeres has performed at leading festivals around the country such as the Tanglewood, Marlboro, La Jolla and Mainly Mozart festivals, New York's 92nd Street Y Series, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Music in the Vineyards, Philharmonic of the Americas, Instrumental Verano, and the Internationale Wolfegger Konzerte. Learn more about Goeres here.
Michael Rabinowitz Bassoonist
Michael Rabinowitz's distinct performance style and innovative improvisations have inspired new understandings of what sound is possible with a bassoon. He has performed in the Chicago, Montreal, Berlin, Tri-City, Tanglewood, San Francisco, and Hollywood Bowl festivals, and has recorded with artists such as Ira Sullivan, Red Rodney, Wynton Marsalis, John Hicks, Dave Douglas, Chris Potter, and Joe Lovano, in addition to producing his own albums. Rabinowitz is a founding member of the Charles Mingus Orchestra and the Odd Couple Quintet, and his quartet—Bassoon and the Wild—has performed at venues such as the Vanderbilt Planetarium, Frick Museum, JVC Jazz Festival, Penn State, and Kavehaz. In 2009, Rabinowitz was awarded a grant from Chamber Music of America in collaboration with French oboist Jean Luc Fillon. Learn more about Rabinowitz here.
Alexander Davis Bassoonist
Alexander Davis is a New York City-based bassoonist focused on healing, connecting, and building community within classical music. He has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, CityMusic Cleveland, Harlem Chamber Players, Symphony in C, Symphoria, and Sherman Chamber Ensemble, to name a few, and he has appeared at festivals including Tanglewood, Ensemble Evolution, Banff Music Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Maine Chamber Music Seminar, and the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival. David is the founder of Sugar Hill Salon Chamber Music in Harlem. He serves as a bassoon faculty member at Montclair State University, an administrative manager for the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival, and a teaching artist at the Park Avenue Armory.
Barbara LaFitte Oboe Professor, Berklee College of Music
Barbara LaFitte is a longtime member of Boston’s music scene and serves on the board of the Boston Woodwind Society. She was principal oboist of the Boston Ballet Orchestra, Boston Classical Orchestra, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and she was a member of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. In addition, she performed regularly with Emmanuel Music (Bach Cantata series) and played English Horn with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. LaFitte can be heard on two Grammy-nominated recordings: Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s recording of Stephen Mackey’s Dreamhouse, and Danilo Perez’s highly acclaimed jazz recording Providencia. She is also the oboist heard on the theme song for the PBS program, Frontline. Learn more about LaFitte here.
Amanda Hardy Principal Oboe, Portland Symphony Orchestra Professor, Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Amanda Hardy serves as principal oboist of the Portland Symphony Orchestra and has performed as guest principal oboist with the Boston Pops, Boston Philharmonic, A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra, Emmanuel Music, and the Des Moines Symphony. In addition, she makes frequent appearances with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, and has performed in festivals such as the Masterworks Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, and Tanglewood Music Center, where she was twice awarded the Mickey L. Hooten Memorial Award. In addition, Hardy won the grand prize for Iowa’s Bill Riley Talent Search (2006), giving her state-wide televised recognition. She is on the faculty of Boston Conservatory at Berklee and New England Conservatory Preparatory School, and also teaches at Northeastern University, in addition to offering private instruction on the oboe and piano. Learn more about Hardy here.
Margaret Phillips Bassoon and Contrabassoon, Portland Symphony Orchestra Professor, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee College of Music, and Boston University
Margaret Phillips has been a highly sought-after freelance bassoonist and contrabassoonist for more than 25 years. She has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops since 1992 and has traveled extensively with both, performing under some of the world's finest conductors. As a performer with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Phillips has premiered and recorded hundreds of new orchestral works, including Grammy-nominated performances. She is a member of the Boston Philharmonic, the Portland Symphony, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Odyssey Opera of Boston. Her award-winning chamber group, Chameleon Arts Ensemble, is well reviewed for its programming and polished performances. She has also performed in Equity Theatre and recorded with artists as diverse as Phish's Trey Anastasio and Danilo Pérez. Learn more about Phillips here.
Robert Sheena English Horn, Boston Symphony Orchestra Professor, Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Longy School of Music
English hornist Robert Sheena has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and the Boston Pops Orchestra for more than 20 years, during which time he has been a featured soloist with the orchestra on several occasions, including a world premiere performance of George Tsontakis's Sonnets under the direction of Andris Nelsons. Prior to joining the BSO, Sheena was assistant principal oboe and English horn of the San Antonio Symphony and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and he continues to perform frequently throughout Asia. He serves on the faculty of Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Longy School of Music, and Boston University's School of Music and Tanglewood Institute. Learn more about Sheena here.
