Hailed by WQXR as a “remarkable bassoonist,” Andy Sledge (they/them) has performed in concert halls, teahouses, opera pits, parking lots, and video game soundtracks. As a winner of the 2022 Astral National Competition and a co-founder of the Bridge Bassoon Duo, Andy is dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices through commissions and creative collaborations. Artistically dedicated to their state of West Virginia, Andy serves as Principal Bassoon of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Bassoon II of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and Assistant Professor of Bassoon at West Virginia University. Andy is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at the Yale School of Music; their primary teachers include Frank Morelli, Peter Kolkay, Laura Hauser, and their middle school band director, Paul Scott Black.