Thomas Priest serves as Professor of Bassoon and Director of Music Education at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. He serves as Principal Bassoonist with Chamber Orchestra Ogden, NEXT Ensemble and is in demand as a freelance in Northern Utah. He previously served as Principal Bassoonist with the Jerusalem Symphony and Co-Principal Bassoonist with the Santiago Philharmonic. His work as a researcher, teacher, performer, and composer continues to inform his professional practice. Dr. Priest has actively pursued a research agenda that examines how individuals may function creatively as performers, listeners, improvisers and composers leading to refereed articles. His educational research has been focused on developing frameworks for improvisation and composition in music classes and has led to publications in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Psychology of Music, The Music Educators Journal and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education.
Dr. Robert Bedont is a native of Taylorsville, Utah. He earned a BMus in music education from the University of Utah, and both MM and DMA degrees in bassoon performance from the University of Arizona. A dedicated educator, Dr. Bedont serves on the faculty at Salt Lake Community College where he teaches the bassoon studio and classes in music history and music theory. His private instrumental studio students consistently appear in region, district, and state music ensembles.
Dr. Bedont regularly performs as a freelance bassoonist with the Aspen Winds quintet, Ballet West Orchestra, Utah Wind Symphony, the Choral Arts Society of Utah, Salt Lake Symphony, and American West Symphony. His primary teachers have been Richard Chatelain, Roger Hicks, Jill Marderness, and Dr. William Dietz. When not performing or teaching you’ll find Robert chasing his three kids and two dogs with his high school sweetheart, Allison.
Over many years of playing the bassoon, Benjamin Bradshaw has developed interests in nearly all things related to the instrument. His main performance interests are in contemporary and electronic music for the bassoon. Recently, he premiered In the Beginning, a concerto for electric bassoon and orchestra. He also maintains a strong interest in classical repertoire and exploring works on the periphery of the cannon.
He received his Doctorate of Music from Indiana University. His Masters of Music in Bassoon Performance was completed at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Ben graduated from Southern Utah University summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance, and a Bachelor of Science in Pure Mathematics. His principal teachers have been William Ludwig, Saxton Rose, and Virginia Stitt. Ben is currently teaching at Southern Utah University and Utah Tech University.
Dr. Ronn Hall’s educational and professional career have taken him across the country. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, he began his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah with Lori Wike before transferring and finishing at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music to study with William Winstead and Martin James. Dr. Hall went on to complete his MM and DMA at the University of Maryland studying with Sue Heineman, Erich Heckshire, and Fei Xie.
Dr. Hall has performed with professional groups all over the United States including the Hawaii Symphony, studio recording work and substitutes with professional groups including the Utah Symphony/Utah Opera. An avid proponent of chamber music, Dr. Hall has performed in numerous chamber ensembles including a long stint in the Potomac Wind Quintet. Dr. Hall lives in Salt Lake City, Utah where he currently teaches, performs, and repairs instruments professionally.