ERIC STOMBERG

Bassoon Professor, Current IDRS President

Eric Stomberg enjoys a wide-ranging musical career as a performer, artist-teacher and artistic administrator. He plays with "elegance and refinement" while displaying "impeccable tone and technique" (American Record Guide). He is also one of the most sought-after contemporary bassoonists with numerous invitations to present recitals and masterclasses at conservatories and schools of music around the world. His students have gone on to study at the most prestigious music schools in the country, while former students also hold orchestral and academic positions in the United States and abroad.

Eric maintains an active schedule with positions as Professor of Bassoon at the University of Kansas, Associate Director of Music for Summer Programs at Interlochen Center for the Arts, and Instructor of Bassoon at Interlochen Arts Academy. He is the current president of the International Double Reed Society. He has held orchestral positions over the past fifteen years as a member of City Music Cleveland, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. He also served as Visiting Professor of Bassoon at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and has held guest residencies and masterclasses at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Florida State University, Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and University of Iowa among many others. His festival participation includes artist-faculty positions with the Asian Double Reed Association, Colombian Bassoon Festival, University of Costa Rica Double Reed Festival, Spanish Double Reed Association, and the Sarasota Music Festival.

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In addition to concerto performances in Colombia and the Czech Republic and festival performances in Colombia, Spain, and Taiwan, Eric was featured in two recent CD releases: James Balentine’s Dun Eideann Blogh with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra (Navona Records) and Jennifer Higdon’s Dark Wood (Naxos), which was met with critical acclaim by Fanfare Magazine: “the disc’s highlight is bassoonist Eric Stomberg’s remarkably characterful traversal of [Jennifer] Higdon’s Dark Wood – witty, volatile and arresting.”

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Eric’s first CD, Victor Bruns: Music for Bassoon featuring Eric Stomberg and Friends, can also be found on the Naxos label. Pianist Robert Koenig and fellow Men Who Don’t Bite (a bassoon quartet) members George Sakakeeny, Jonathan Sherwin and Barrick Stees joined Eric in the world-premiere recording of these works. The quartet has since performed at the annual conferences of the International Double Reed Society and other chamber music series. Eric has arranged four works for the quartet that are published by Trevco Music Publishing.

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As an advocate for using music to affect social change, Eric has been deeply involved as an artist-faculty member of the Filarmónica Joven De Colombia. This social program brings together talented young Colombian musicians in weeklong residencies throughout the year. Following a number of years in the program, the students become engaged music educators for the next generation of Colombian musicians. At the University of Kansas, Eric has created an outreach and engagement program in collaboration with the Lied Center of Kansas which allows chamber music ensembles to engage with the Lawrence community while honing their skills as future artists, educators, and leaders.

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Eric is also active in professional societies and duties as President of the International Double Reed Society starting in 2018. He has held the positions of First Vice President, Secretary, and International Young Artist Competition chair for IDRS over the past eight years and is past-president of the Midwest Double Reed Society.

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He received the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Kansas. His major teachers include William Winstead, Alan Hawkins and Gregg Randall.