 Photo by Mindi Rey Acosta
Cassandra Bendickson is a freelance bassoonist and contrabassoonist based in Tucson, Arizona and teaches the largest bassoon studio in Southern Arizona. She currently performs with the Sedona Symphony, LuftBassoons, Tucson Duo Project, the Peregrine Rose Trio, the Ladies’ Reeding Society, as well as freelancing in orchestras across the southwestern United States. She holds an MA in bassoon performance from the University of Arizona and enjoys a busy schedule of teaching bassoon, reed making, performance, and ensemble coaching. An advocate for composers and new music, Ms. Bendickson won a sizable New Works grant in 2019 from the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona to fund brand new music for bassoon quartet by Tucson composers Jay Vosk, Marco Rosano, Russell Ronnebaum, Samantha Bounkeua, and Dante Rosano as a year-long project for the LuftBassoons Quartet. This project expanded beyond 2020 into international premieres at the 2021 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Virtual Symposium of Samantha Bounkeua's "OCEANS for Bassoon Quartet" and Jay Vosk's "Canción de Cuna" at the International Double Reed Society (IDRS) Convention in 2021 and a follow-up IDRS recital in 2024. Current commissioning projects include collaborations for flute, contrabassoon, and piano as well as multiple bassoons with Becky Turro, Lin Nossek, and Martin van Klompenberg.
In addition to her orchestral work, Ms. Bendickson has spent much of her career performing in chamber ensembles. She was a founding member of both the Maderas Bassoon Quartet, who made their IDRS debut in 2011, and the Zephyrus Reed Trio, who for over seven years played concerts and benefits throughout Southern Arizona, both groups combining the efforts of both the freelance and the symphony communities. She performed as both bassoon and contrabassoon for the premiere recording of David Maslanka's "Mass", and as bassoon for countless projects with ChamberLab, including a live, original soundtrack for Buster Keaton's iconic film, "The General" and a live 24-hr fundraiser for the ACLU called “Vexathon” that raised over $16,000. Ms. Bendickson was a featured soloist in the Arizona premiere of David Finko's "Concerto Grosso for flute, oboe, bassoon, and percussion", and has performed concertos with the Catalina Chamber Orchestra, Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and most recently in 2019 with the Foothills Philharmonic. She has been featured on Chris Black's CD "Lullabies and Nightmares", Sandi Siegel's "Dizzying Rain", and Catherine Neville's 2022 album, "Hold Your Center". She performs yearly with the “Concierto sin Fronteras” in Douglas, Arizona, a concert performed simultaneously on both sides of the border, dedicated to uniting the United States and Mexico through the shared passion and connection of music. Additionally, Cassandra Bendickson founded, directed, and curated a 10 concert series for the Tucson branch of the acclaimed Church of Beethoven concert series featuring concerts of music and spoken word by Tucson writers and musicians, which she looks forward to returning to soon. She is a member of the International Double Reed Society, MusicLink, and the Local 33 branch of the American Federation of Musicians union. Ms. Bendickson maintains a growing private lesson and reed studio, a busy freelancing schedule, and a home with a beloved family and many pets. |
groups in which I bassoonladies reeding society
luftbassoons tucson duo project peregrine rose trio sierra vista symphony crowded quartet chamberlab tucson repertory orchestra church of beethoven-tucson southern az symphony professional affiliationsI bassoon-ed in that2023 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Symposium
2022 IDRS Conference:Peregrine Rose Trio 2022 Album: August Meditations 2021 ClarinetFest with Trio de Bois 2021 IDRS Virtual Festival:LuftBassoons 2021 Meg Quigley Symposium with LuftBassoons 2019 IDRS Performance 2017 Album: Lullabies & Nightmares 2015 Festival Ortiz Tirado in Alamos, MX BOOP: Bassoons & Oboes of the Old Pueblo 2011 IDRS Performance with Maderas Bassoons bella carita chamber orchestra Winds, Keys, & Cords Concert Concert Without Borders |
To rediscover our purpose, to live long and prosper, we must let go of our focus on programming favorite artworks, old and new, and instead boldly experiment with engaging people in artistic experiences. We must reconnect with the human art instinct." - Eric Booth
