Rachael Lee

Born and raised in Taipei, Taiwanese and American bassoonist Rachael Lee began her studies in 2014 under the tutelage of I-Hsiu Chen, Associate Principal Bassoon of Taiwan’s National Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Rachael has been a recipient of numerous awards. In 2019, she was selected as one of three finalists for the International Double Reed Society’s Norma Hooks Young Artist Competition. Additionally, in 2017, she was awarded first place in bassoon performance for both the Taipei regionals and Taiwan nationals of Taiwan’s National Student Competition. She has also enjoyed performing in masterclasses for esteemed bassoonists such as Frank Forst, Suzanne Nelsen, Richard Svoboda, Christopher Milliard, and Richard Ranti. An active orchestral musician, Rachael currently holds the Principal Bassoon position of Symphony in C. She has also attended many summer music festivals in the United States. Most recently, as a 2019 Tanglewood Music Center bassoon fellow, she appeared in various TMC Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra performances — including a performance as solo bassoon in Bach’s Cantata BWV42, conducted by John Harbison. In previous summers, Rachael has participated in Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists Orchestra, Curtis Summerfest, and Eastman Music Horizons. As part of the IASAS and AMIS festivals for International Schools, she was also selected to travel and perform internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician in countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, and Qatar. In high school, Rachael was the recipient of the John Philip Sousa Band Award and the Patrick S. Gilmore Band Award, as well as graduating with academic distinction. Rachael is currently in her third year at the Curtis Institute of Music, pursuing a Bachelor of Music under the guidance of Daniel Matsukawa, Principal Bassoon of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Apart from music, Rachael enjoys writing, cooking, drawing, and exploring different academic disciplines.

 Quincey Trojanowski

Quincey Trojanowski, 19, is a sophomore undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music, studying bassoon performance with Kristin Wolfe Jensen. She is from the Chicagoland area and began playing bassoon in fourth grade after falling in love with the instrument at first sight. She has been a member of the UT Austin Symphony Orchestra, UT Austin Wind Ensemble, the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Merit School of Music. In the past, she has studied with Miles Maner and Drew Pattison. Quincey has also played in masterclasses with Fei Xie, Keith Buncke, Daniel Matsukawa, Benjamin Kamins, Rian Craypo, and William Ludwig. She has had significant chamber music experience in the past as well. She was a member of a wind trio that twice received the Fischoff National Chamber Competition's Junior Division Wind Prize, and has received 1st and 3rd Junior Division prizes at the M-Prize International Chamber Music Competition. In her spare time, Quincey loves painting, drawing, biking, cooking, and–most of all–traveling. Quincey's passion for traveling started when she played in Carnegie Hall and toured China, South Korea, and Taiwan with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America in 2018. Later, in 2019, she also toured Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and St. Petersburg Russia with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. She hopes to be able to travel the world as a professional musician, and connect with as many people as possible along the way through music.