Welcome to the UTA Double Reed Day, held on April 6th! We are so excited to see you and hear you again. This year we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Jacqui Wilson and Dr. Galit Kaunitz from Double Reed Dish! As always, this is a free event for all participants and comes with a free pizza lunch for everyone who joins us. The solo contest is continuing this year! Stay tuned for exciting announcements regarding our faculty, schedule, and masterclass openings!

UTA faculty Prof. Melissa Bosma, Dr. Laura Bennett Cameron, and Prof. Jazmyn Barajas-Trujillo will be joined by a whole roster of brilliant guest artists and technicians - we’re so excited to share this lineup with you! Until then, take a look at the schedule.

Double Reed Day Schedule
7:45 Solo Contest Check-in Begins
8:00 Solo Contest (time slots will be assigned based on the number of registrants)
8:30 General Check-in opens
9:00 Opening Recital with Guest Artists
10:00 Junior High Elective Masterclass / High School Guest Artist Masterclass
11:00 High School Elective Masterclass / Junior High Guest Artist Masterclass
12:00 Lunch
12:50 Double Reed Dish Live!
1:50 Sectionals
2:50 Relocate to Irons Recital Hall for Closing Recital Rehearsal
3:00 Group Warmup / Double Reed Choir Rehearsal
4:00 Closing Recital
Schedule is subject to change

In addition to the wonderful classes and recitals, we will have an exciting vendor onsite all day! Be sure to check out the vendor booth during a break or at check-in to browse selections. Check back for specific details on the vendor and the booth’s open hours.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Bennett Cameron at LCameron@uta.edu, Prof. Melissa Bosma at melissa.bosma@uta.edu, or Kendal Bolton at kendalbolton14@gmail.com.

About the solo contest

The solo contest is completely optional and is the only part of Double Reed Day that requires any fee. The entry fee is $7, for which students will receive written feedback from top artists on their instrument and will be considered for a seven-minute maximum spot on the Closing Recital. This contest is a great opportunity for all players to refine their audition and performance skills, for Texas high schoolers to prepare for the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest, and to have a chance to play in a beautiful recital hall. The solo contest is open to students in grades 5-12. Collegiate and post-graduate students are not permitted to enter the contest this year.

*The Solo Contest Deadline is Wednesday, April 3rd at midnight. Registration and materials must be submitted by midnight to be considered for prizes.*

The solo contest is generously sponsored by Bocal Majority Woodwinds.

The Junior High Division
The Junior High Division is open to oboists and bassoonists in 5th-8th grades. Oboists and bassoonists will compete together for the first prize: a one-hour private lesson with Prof. Bosma or Dr. Bennett Cameron, and a $50 gift card to the solo contest sponsor, Bocal Majority. The second prize winner will receive a half-hour private lesson and a $25 gift card to Bocal Majority. Every contestant will receive personalized feedback from an esteemed panel of double reed artist-teachers.

The High School Division
The High School Division is open to oboists and bassoonists who have not yet graduated high school (9th through 12th grades). There will be separate competitions for oboe and bassoon. Each first-place winner will receive the option to perform on the Closing Recital, a free lesson with Prof. Bosma or Dr. Bennett Cameron ($75 value), and a $75 gift card to the solo contest sponsor, Bocal Majority! The oboe and bassoon runners-up will each receive a half-hour lesson with Prof. Bosma or Dr. Bennett Cameron, and a $50 gift card to Bocal Majority! Every contestant will receive personalized feedback from an esteemed panel of double reed artist-teachers. This is a great opportunity for soloists preparing for the Texas State Solo & Ensemble Competition!

*Please note: Divisions may be subject to minor changes based on enrollment.*

*Should you be selected as a 1st or 2nd place winner of your division, you are responsible for contacting Prof. Bosma or Dr. Bennett Cameron to schedule your free lesson.*

Registration: Please register for Double Reed Day and the solo contest via the links above.

About the Solo Contest: The solo contest will be held in the morning prior to the rest of the day’s events. You will be assigned a time slot for your audition. It is recommended that you arrive 15 minutes before this time to check in, find your audition room, and warm up. Please remember that sending your score in advance is required. Please email a PDF of the piano score (if using piano) or the solo part (if not using piano) to Event Coordinator Kendal Bolton at kendalbolton14@gmail.com upon registration.

Paying your fee: Entry into the solo contest is $7 per person. Please submit your payment to one of the following. Please include the first and last name of the student for whom the payment is intended. Cash payments will also be accepted the day of Double Reed Day, but we are anticipating long registration lines, so advance payment is strongly recommended.

• CashApp: $MaverickBassoonClub

• Venmo: @MaverickBassoon-Club

• PayPal: LCameron@uta.edu

Requirements and recommendations:

• The contestant must meet the Junior High or High School criteria listed above.

• The solo may have a maximum run time of seven minutes; cuts are strongly encouraged.

• No pianist is required for the competition. Students are welcome to bring their own pianists, either for the competition or for the performance, if they are selected as winners. A brief rehearsal with a collaborative pianist will be provided before the winners’ performances on the closing recital. Any student entering the contest should know the piano part well and be prepared to perform with the piano.

Parking Information

If you plan to park your vehicle on campus you must follow these instructions.

1. Follow the link https://utarlington.aimsparking.com/permits/?cmd=new_event
2. Select "Department-Hosted Event”
3. Select "UTA Double Reed Day”
4. Enter voucher code: EV2625
5. Select permit type "(EVT-COMP) Fac/Staff Surface Lots”
6. Select the active date
7. Add vehicle info and confirm

Set your navigation for the intersection of Nedderman Drive and Cooper Street in Arlington, TX. From Cooper Street, turn west onto Nedderman Drive. If you are coming from the north/I-30, you will turn right onto Nedderman. If you are coming from the south/I-20, you will turn left. Follow the road around the corner to find parking lot F9 on your right and lot F6 on your left. Once parked, walk north on Nedderman Drive until you reach a four-way stop at Greek Row Drive. Turn right/east onto Greek Row Drive and walk past the circle drive. Enter the fine arts building through the sliding doors on your right, just before reaching the concrete stairs.

If you would like a Double Reed Day or Maverick Bassoon Club T-shirt, stay tuned! Shirts will be on sale, and a portion of the proceeds go to the Maverick Bassoon Club, which sponsors free and low-cost events for young bassoonists and oboists in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Should you feel inclined to give, we are gratefully accepting donations through the button at the top of the page.

ABOUT OUR FACULTY

Oboist Dr. Galit Kaunitz is the Associate Professor of Oboe at the University of Southern Mississippi. She performs solo and chamber music recitals and orchestral music, and co-hosts the Double Reed Dish podcast with bassoonist Jacqueline Wilson. 

Galit explores themes of culture and identity through her solo and chamber music recitals. She is dedicated to expanding the canon to included works by underrepresented and displaced composers, and enthusiastically collaborates with composers to commission new works for the oboe. She is rediscovering the music of Elizabeth Gyring, a Viennese Jewish composer who was displaced by World War II. Gyring was unable to recreate the success she experienced as a composer in Vienna after she moved to New York, though she continued to compose until her death. In collaboration with pianist Michael Bunchman and musicologist Barbara Dietlinger, Galit is performing and recording Gyring’s works for oboe so they may be rightfully enjoyed by oboists and audiences everywhere. Galit recorded All Are Welcome: Works for Oboe and Bassoon with Jacqueline Wilson, bassoon, and Fabio Menchetti, piano, on Washington State University Recordings in 2022. All Are Welcome is the culmination of the Double Reed Dish Commission Consortium project and includes works by Connor Chee, Kate Pukinskis, Mason Bynes, and brin solomon. 

Galit is a sought-after orchestral musician in the Gulf Coast region. She is the principal oboist of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra (Meridian, MS), second oboe and English horn with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Symphony, and performs regularly with the Mobile and Baton Rouge Symphonies. 

Galit is grateful to have studied under Eric Ohlsson, Rebecca Henderson, Humbert Lucarelli, and Marilyn Krentzman. She is proud to be a Marigaux artist and plays on a Marigaux 901.

Oboist Melissa Bosma is the newly appointed Adjunct Oboe Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Bosma served as Lecturer of Oboe at Oklahoma State University, where she also served as Director of the OSU Summer Music Camp. She also served as Adjunct Instructor of Oboe at Heidelberg University, where she performed with the faculty woodwind quintet, regularly performed at the New Music Festival, and commissioned new solo works for oboe and piano.

Ms. Bosma has taught extensively in Texas, Michigan, and Oklahoma through her studio and master classes at many local middle and high schools. Passionate about sharing oboe pedagogy with other educators, Ms. Bosma has given presentations at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference.  Ms. Bosma is an active orchestral musician who has performed with groups such as the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Michigan Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Also an accomplished chamber musician, Ms. Bosma attended the Sarasota Music Festival and was a Fellow at Music Academy of the West where she was a featured soloist under the baton of Grammy-nominated conductor Nicholas McGegan.

Melissa Bosma graduated with Master of Music degrees in both Oboe Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from Southern Methodist University. Her primary teachers include Erin Hannigan and Nancy Ambrose King.

Oboist Katie Haun is a freelance musician and educator. She maintains a private teaching studio from her home in Frisco, Texas. As an active orchestral musician, Katie is a member of the East Texas  Symphony and the Sherman Symphony orchestras and has also performed with groups such as the  Richardson Symphony, Texarkana Symphony, and Dallas Winds. As a chamber musician, she has participated in the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival in New York, New York, Symphony Orchestra  Academy of the Pacific in British Columbia, Canada, and the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Tuscany, Italy. 

A highlight of Katie’s career is having the opportunity to teach young oboists. She is passionate about teaching students how to achieve their goals and strives for her students to create a love for music through the oboe. Katie seeks to share her music in underperformed communities. She regularly performs oboe recitals in nursing homes, as well as instrument demo days for elementary aged children.

Katie received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Oboe Performance from the University of North Texas. Her primary teachers include James Ryon, Doris DeLoach, and Ceci  Lagarenne.

Bassoonist Dr. Jacqueline Wilson is an active performer, pedagogue, collaborator, and advocate. She currently serves as Principal Bassoonist of the Washington Idaho Symphony and Assistant Professor of Bassoon at Washington State University where she performs with the Solstice Faculty Wind Quintet. As an active soloist and chamber musician, she regularly presents recitals, masterclasses, and clinics including engagements at the International Double Reed Society Conference (Boulder, CO, Tampa, FL, Columbus, GA,), the International Alliance for Women in Music Conference (Corvallis, OR), the Meg Quigley Bassoon Symposium (Tucson, AZ, Los Angeles, CA), and the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY). She is also a founding member of Ensemble 337, an innovative bassoon and marimba duo with percussionist Dr. Christopher Wilson. An eager contributor to the double reed community, Dr. Wilson currently serves as Vice President of the International Double Reed Society, a Co-Executive Director of the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Bassoon Symposium, and co-hosts the Double Reed Dish podcast with oboist Dr. Galit Kaunitz.

As an avid supporter of new music, Dr. Wilson (Yakama) frequently collaborates with composers on the creation of new works to expand the repertoire of the bassoon. She is especially passionate about embracing diversity in her performances by elevating music featuring underrepresented perspectives and lived experiences, with a special focus on collaborating with Indigenous composers. In this capacity, she has premiered, commissioned, and recorded works by composers Juantio Becenti, Connor Chee, Louis W. Ballard, and Raven Chacon, among others. These efforts can be heard on her debut album, Works for the Bassoon by Native American Composers (WSU Recordings). Expansion of this work was supported by a WSU New Faculty Seed Grant in the form of an international Indigenous artistic collaboration with Māori composers, as well as an Artist Trust Fellowship to fund the commissioning of a concerto for bassoon and strings by Connor Chee. She also actively composes new pieces and creates resources that facilitate the performance of works from the 20th century and beyond. Wilson’s composition Dance Suite for Solo Bassoon was awarded the 2022 PatsyLu Prize for outstanding work by a BIPOC composer in the 41st Search for New Music Competition by the International Alliance for Women in Music. Her article, “Strategies for Learning Luciano Berio’s Sequenza XII,” co-authored with Dr. Christin Schillinger (Ithaca College), has been published in The Double Reed and the Journal de L’Association Bassons (France). Similarly, her dissertation, an analysis and performance guide of Sofia Gubaidulina’s Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings, has been utilized by noteworthy bassoonists worldwide.

Dr. Wilson holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Bassoon Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. She is also a graduate of Boston University's College of Fine Arts and Eastern Washington University. Her principal teachers include Benjamin Coelho, Matthew Ruggiero, and Lynne Feller-Marshall.

Bassoonist Dr. Laura Bennett Cameron’s artistic and research activities in Europe and in the United States have established an international reputation for expressive playing, innovative collaborations, and expansion of the bassoon’s repertoire through her work with French composer Roger Boutry (1932-2019).  Dr. Bennett Cameron is a sought-after performer, regularly performing solo recitals, chamber concerts, and concertos in the United States and Europe. Most recently, she performed a series of concertos in Italy, to packed houses and critical acclaim.

She  serves as the principal bassoonist of the five-time Grammy-nominated Dallas Winds, and performs frequently with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, among other ensembles.  She holds the title of Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at the University of Texas-Arlington, and is the founder of La Société for la Promotion de la Musique de Roger Boutry. Her debut recording, "French Masterworks for Bassoon and Piano," (Indesens Classique, 2016)  recorded with composer Roger Boutry at the piano, has been praised as "virtuosic, lyrical, and engagingly musical" by critics across the globe. Her second CD with Roger Boutry, “Encounters,” is expected in 2021.

Dr. Bennett Cameron’s research has led her to publish the first significant articles in English regarding Roger Boutry’s music, providing biographical, repertorial, and analytical resources on the composer.  Additionally, she has edited numerous works of Boutry’s and other composers’ music.  Bennett Cameron earned a Doctor of Music from Indiana University (principal teacher William Ludwig), a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory (Richard Svoboda), and a Bachelor of Music from West Texas A&M University (Tina Carpenter), all degrees earned with highest honors.

Bassoonist Spencer Wilson teaches Applied Bassoon for Mountain View College, as well as bassoon lessons and sectionals for the Garland, Plano, and Duncanville Independent School Districts.  His studio has garnered accolades through his students' numerous accomplishments in regional and state competitions.  In addition, Spencer is in demand as a clinician and professional reed maker.

Along with his career as a pedagogue, Spencer works as a sought-after freelance musician, having played with the Dallas Winds and the Rapides Symphony, among others.  Mr. Wilson has served for two seasons as bassoonist for the Ohio Light Opera, performing a wide variety of musicals and operettas, including the American premier of George Gershwin's Primrose.  He has also served as an Advanced Performer Fellow for the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival.

Mr. Wilson earned his Master of Music in Bassoon Performance as an Artistic Excellence Fellow at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.  He holds a Bachelor of Music in Woodwind Performance from James Madison University with honors.  His principal teachers were William Ludwig and Dr. Susan Barber.

Bassoonist Jasmyn Barajas-Trujillo, Originally born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a Private Lesson Instructor and Reed Maker in the DFW Metroplex. Along with maintaining a full studio, Trujillo has had performances with America’s Premier Windband, The Dallas Winds and Shreveport Symphony. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. Trujillo is a scholar of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, an organization aimed to increase the attainment of advanced degrees for underrepresented members of society. She is published in the McNair Scholars Research Journal with titles such as Bassoon: Clown of the Orchestra or Versatile Unsung Voice? and Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto: What Can the Musician Do to Enhance Music Instead of Just Playing the Notes? While studying at UT-Arlington, she was the recipient of the Lichtenwalter Concerto Competition and Scholarship. Trujillo obtained her Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Bassoon Performance from New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Her primary teachers include Dr. Laura Bennett Cameron and Richard Svoboda.

Pianist Astrid Morales, born in Mexico City, is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at Arizona State University with Robert Hamilton. Astrid holds master’s degrees in Piano Performance, Piano Pedagogy and a Performer’s Diploma in Piano from Southern Methodist University, where she studied with Joaquín Achúcarro. In 2012, she graduated from the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City where she studied with Héctor Rojas.

Winner of the 2022 Puerto Rico Center for Collaborative Piano - Professional Division,  Astrid has been awarded several prizes and scholarships including the Actos de Confianza Grant from the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures 2021, the 2014 General Concerto Competition at the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, TX, the 2011 Youth Mexican Prize, Grand Prix to Exceptional Talents and Best Interpretation of Mexican Music at the Second National Piano Competition “Petrof – Symphony – Pearl River”, among many others. In 2021, she was recognized as a Kawai Medallion Educator.

Astrid has had an intensive soloist career and has performed with orchestras and conductors such as: Mexico State Symphony Orchestra (Enrique Bátiz, Virgilio Valle and Gabriela Díaz Alatriste), Querétaro Philharmonic (José Guadalupe Flores), Meadows Symphony Orchestra (Paul Phillips), Nuevo León University Symphony (Eduardo Diazmuñoz), Mexico City Philharmonic (José Areán), National Polytechnic Institute Symphony Orchestra (Alfredo Ibarra and Enrique Barrios), Aguascalientes Symphony (Stephano Mazzoleni), Las Colinas Symphony (Robert Carter Austin), Women’s Orchestra of Arizona (Livia Gho), among many others. In addition, she has performed recitals in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, United States, Canada, Holland, Germany and Italy.

As an advocate of Latin American music and an active performer of Mexican music, she recorded her first CD “Rimero Musical” with music of the Mexican composer Ladislao Juárez and collaborated in “El Oficio Mío” with Armando Rosas. As an active collaborative pianist, Morales was appointed as a faculty member at the North Texas Low Brass Camp and was the pianist for Portland Opera To Go 2022 program and tour. Morales has collaborated with world-renowned musicians including Andrés Díaz, Santiago Cañón, Matt Albert, among many others. In 2018 and 2019, she also served as Fellow Pianist at the NorCal Music Festival. In addition, she serves as the principal pianist of Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra.

Astrid Morales serves on the piano faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington. She has also served as Faculty Associate at Arizona State University.  Astrid serves as Executive Director of Education at the Piano Industry professionals and Producers Conference and as an active committee member of the following: Binational Cultural Forum of Mexican Artists, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and the Puerto Rico Center for Collaborative Piano.  In addition, she serves as the 4th Vice President of the Arizona State Music Teachers Association.

Guest Conductor Cole Woods is a vibrant young educator who has spent the last year pursuing his Master of Music in Music Education at the University of Texas at Arlington, while also working closely with every facet of the instrumental music program as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. A newcomer to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Mr. Woods has already worked to deeply integrate himself within the musical community. As both a performer and as an educator, Mr. Woods is active in multiple large and small ensembles both inside and outside of the University of Texas at Arlington. In his short time at the university, Mr. Woods has been nominated for the Perry R. Bass Fellowship, maintained a 4.0 GPA, and has pursued extracurricular studies in conducting, among other achievements. Additionally, he is currently working as a private instructor and assistant teacher for Mesquite ISD.  

Prior to pursuing his second degree in Arlington, Mr. Woods worked as the sole instructor for the Childress ISD junior high band program and as the assistant director for the high school. During his time in Childress, Mr. Woods taught beginner courses for both winds and percussion, while also instructing a UIL competition ensemble. Woods received his Bachelor of Music in Education with honors from Oklahoma State University in 2016. During his undergraduate degree, Mr. Woods worked tirelessly to grow his craft through multiple independent studies in both conducting and music theory. In addition, Mr. Woods worked closely with multiple high school and junior high band programs of differing sizes and resources to broaden his perspective before ever stepping on a podium in a classroom. 

Mr. Woods cites Lanette Lopez-Compton, Dr. Tyler Austin, and Dr. Kimberly Loeffert as his primary mentors and teachers during his undergraduate degree and post-graduation. Since coming to UTA, Mr. Woods has grown this wealth of guiding individuals to include Dr. Douglas Stotter, Dr. Christopher Evans, and Dr. Diane Lange, among many others.

Event Coordinator and Bassoonist Kendal Bolton is a freelance music and arts administration consultant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the principal bassoonist of the Mansfield Philharmonic Orchestra, and holds a Bachelor of Music in Business from the University of Texas-Arlington. Ms. Bolton specializes in digital organization, a skill which she honed during her internship with the Round Top Festival Institute, where she was instrumental in transitioning their organization and alumni systems to a fully digital process. She has also served as the Event Coordinator for the UT-Arlington Double Reed Day since 2017, and was the founding and long-running president of the Maverick Bassoon Club, an organization devoted to sponsoring high quality and low cost educational activities for junior high, high school, and UT-Arlington bassoonists through the UT-Arlington Double Reed Day, All-State Intensive, and guest artist recitals and masterclasses.

In addition to her freelance administrative work, Ms. Bolton volunteers as a consultant for the Maverick Bassoon Club, where she enjoys sharing her knowledge of fundraising techniques, administrative process, and leadership experience. She enjoys devoting her time to arts administration projects and mentorship of all kinds, and is passionate about creating musical experiences that are positive, inclusive, and illuminating for all.

During her time at the University of Texas at Arlington, Ms. Bolton was often recognized for her academic, musical, and administrative skills. She received the College of Liberal Arts AcCOLAde Dean’s Award, was an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Project Fellow, made the Dean’s List, and served as Chamber Music Student Liaison. In addition to her academic accomplishments, she was selected to appear on multiple Honors Recitals, performed two solo recitals, performed at the College Band Directors National Association Conference, performed at the International Double Reed Society in 2019, and performed with the top performing ensembles at UTA. Her bassoon studies were with Dr. Laura Bennett Cameron, and she has performed in masterclasses for Wilfred Roberts, Kevin Hall, Dr. Fernando Zúñiga, Victor Dutot, the late Dr. Eric Varner, and others.