Francisco Joubert Bernard is Second Bassoonist of the Louisville Orchestra and Lecturer of Bassoon at the University of Louisville. Originally from Puerto Rico, he completed his B.M. at the “Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico” and has a M.M. degree from the Yale School of Music. Francisco was a Bassoon Fellow at the New World Symphony in Miami Florida where he performed with renowned artists, including a solo performance for John Williams. Francisco has performed with orchestras including the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. He was featured in the April 2024 volume of the International Musician. Beyond classical music, Francisco is interested in expanding the role of the bassoon in other genres through his online persona VG Bassoonist. In 2022, Francisco became one of Sphinx’s MPower Artist Grant recipients and plans to continue inspiring and educating young bassoonists online.