Harrison Cody is a first-year DMA student at Arizona State University, where he studies bassoon under the guidance of Dr. Albie Micklich. He recently earned his master’s degree in bassoon performance and pedagogy at ASU, solidifying his expertise in both performing and teaching the instrument. Harrison earned his bachelor of music in performance at Florida State University, where he studied with Jeff Keesecker.

At ASU, Harrison serves as a teaching assistant in the bassoon studio, instructing undergraduate students in technique lessons and reed-making. His role also includes assisting Dr. Albie with various administrative duties, further enhancing the student's learning environment.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Harrison has established himself as a versatile freelance musician in the Phoenix area. He has performed with prominent ensembles such as the Phoenix Symphony and Arizona Musicfest, contributing to his growing reputation as a skilled bassoonist and contrabassoonist in the region. In addition to freelancing, Harrison is a member of the Opuntia Winds, a Phoenix-based Wind Quintet. An active member of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS), Harrison had two performances, including a world premiere of S. Khvorostianov’s Azan bassoon quartet, at the 2024 conference at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

Harrison’s blend of academic dedication, teaching experience, and professional performance makes him a well-rounded and committed musician. For fun, Harrison enjoys going to concerts, watching movies, and reading. 

Beginning the fall 2024 semester, Michelle Fletcher is the Instructor of Bassoon at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. She is originally from Mesa, AZ, and is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Arizona State University (ASU). She holds a Master of Music degree from ASU and a Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University (BYU).

An avid orchestral performer, Michelle is the principal bassoon

with Arizona Millennial Choirs and Orchestra (MCO) and also performs with MCO in Idaho and Utah. She is a regular substitute principal, second bassoon, and contrabassoon with The Phoenix Symphony, substitute principal with the Flagstaff Symphony, and has appeared as a soloist with the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra and the BYU Wind Symphony. She has also participated in international concert tours to the Philippines with the BYU Chamber Orchestra and Australia with the BYU Wind Symphony. As a recording artist, Michelle can be heard performing contrabassoon on the world premiere recording of Kevin Day’s Concerto for Wind Ensemble with the ASU Wind Ensemble (2022), and bassoon on the documentary soundtrack Max Steiner: Maestro of Movie Music (2021) as well as on recordings with Lea Salonga, Patrice Tipoki, Amy Grant, and MCO.

Summer 2024 proved to be very busy for Michelle as she was selected to present world premiere performances (bassoon and contrabassoon) at the International Double Reed Society (IDRS) Conference in Flagstaff and was also selected to participate in the 2024 Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival in New York City where she was coached by bassoonists Monica Ellis and Julian Gonzalez. Michelle has been part of commissions by Deanna Rusnock, Jane K, Lisa Neher, and Martin Van Klompenberg, and has given world premiere performances of works by composers Kevin Day, Deanna Rusnock, Kincaid Rabb, and Prin Varojtecha.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Joe Florance (they/them) is a second year Master of Music student at Arizona State University (ASU) studying with Dr. Albie Micklich. At ASU, Joe performs with the ASU Wind Ensemble and ASU Symphony Orchestra. Their goal at ASU is to continue to refine their craft as a musician while promoting new works by underrepresented composers.

Joe holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maryland (UMD) in Bassoon Performance (BM) studying with Joseph Grimmer and in Music Education (BME). During their time at UMD, Joe worked under the batons of Dr. Michael Votta, Maestro David Neely, and Dr. Andrea Brown. Joe also had numerous opportunities to work and perform with chamber groups at UMD including local performances with their wind quintet.

In addition to their collegiate study, Joe has participated in masterclasses, workshops, and collaborations with Aaron Pergram, Frank Morelli, Glenn Einschlag, WIlliam Short, George Sakakeeny, Sophie Dervaux, and Monica Ellis and the Imani Winds. Joe has also had opportunities to perform with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and the Capital CIty Symphony (Washington, DC) and has performed at the International Double Reed Society Conference (IDRS). At the 2024 IDRS conference in Flagstaff, AZ, Joe gave two world premiere performances, Kincaid Rabb’s Cabinet of Curiosities and Sergey Khvorostianov’s Azan. These works were premiered alongside other members of the ASU Bassoon Studio. While in high school, Joe studied with Victoria King and Dr. Javier Rodriguez, who helped shape their most formative years as a bassoonist.

As an educator, Joe spent the 2022-23 school year student-teaching at Longfellow Elementary School in Columbia, MD and Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, MD. In these internships, they worked with band, orchestra, and jazz students alongside mentor teachers. Joe has a strong passion for public education and continues to advocate for public and equitable access to quality music education.

In their spare time, Joe loves to travel and has been to 45 US states and 20 countries. At home, Joe can be found cooking, reading, hiking, cycling, or playing video games when they’re not too busy practicing.

Ben Kearns (He/They) is a third-year DMA student in Bassoon Performance at Arizona State University. He received his Bachelor’s of Music in Bassoon Performance from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania in 2020, and his Master’s of Music in Bassoon Performance at Arizona State University in 2022.

Kearns grew up in Macedon and Palmyra, New York, and was active in his high school band and choir. Always excited to try new things, Kearns jumped from instrument to instrument, starting on piano, trombone, clarinet, and saxophone and finally getting his hands on a bassoon.

A musician with various musical interests and styles, Kearns enjoys performing opera and musical theater music, chamber music, and contemporary music that highlights underrepresented composers. Dedicated to working in newer mediums of contemporary music, Kearns has studied electronic music and programs like MaxMSP, Ableton, and Reason. He plans to use these tools to work with composers to create new soundscapes that can be made possible by the bassoon as a solo instrument and in chamber ensembles. Kearns has been invited to teach Bassoon at Mansfield University summer music camps and his high school, where he shared the wonders of the bassoon and reed-making to young musicians.

Kearns was a member of the former Aenea Reed Quintet, having won first prize in the North American Saxophone Alliance’s first-ever FLEX competition and qualifying for the final round of the Coltman Chamber Music Competition. He also presented two world-premiere works for bassoon quartet at the 2024 IDRS Conference in Flagstaff, AZ, Azan by Sergey Kvorostyanov and Cabinet of Curiosities by Kincaid Rabb. Kearns recently performed with the Arizona Philharmonic in Prescott, AZ in their season-opening concert, “Passion, Peace, and Power” alongside fellow ASU students, professors, and alumni.

Outside of classical music, Kearns enjoys nearly all kinds of popular music. He enjoys hunting for old records (a HUGE Zia fanboy!), playing tabletop roleplaying and video games with friends, cooking, and caring for his growing plant collection.

Originally from Burleson, Texas, Eduardo Martinez is pursuing a master's degree in bassoon performance at Arizona State University and serves as one of the teaching assistants for the Sun Devil Bassoon Studio. Eduardo previously studied at the University of Michigan (U-M), where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in bassoon performance.

An avid performer and participant in masterclasses, a few of his favorite playing experiences include a U-M Symphony Orchestra side-by-side concert with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and a Masterclass with Václav Vonášek, the Berlin Philharmonic's contrabassoonist.

Eduardo maintains a private studio for high school-aged students in the Fort Worth, Texas, region. He firmly believes that we should emulate our former teachers and strive to provide quality instruction and be an exemplary teacher for his students. His primary teachers include Dr. Albie Micklich, Dr. Jeffrey Lyman, and Sarah Boyd.

When Eduardo is not playing bassoon, he is often found at the gym or on hiking trails. He loves reading fiction novels and is always looking for new foods to try and recipes to make.