Double Reed Day

Faculty

Jaren Atherholt, oboe

Jaren Atherholt is the newly appointed Assistant Professor of Oboe at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and Principal Oboist of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. She previously served as principal oboist of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for eleven seasons. A native of Alaska, Jaren has performed to stellar reviews as a featured concerto soloist and has been guest principal oboist with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Detroit Symphony, as well as guest associate principal oboist with the Pittsburgh and Atlanta Symphonies. International engagements include principal oboe with the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico and Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in Mexico City. Jaren spent four summers at the Marlboro Music Festival and currently performs each summer with the Grand Teton Music Festival. She has served on the faculty of John Mack Oboe Camp, Interlochen Arts Camp, the Wintergreen Music Academy, and the Vianden International Music School. Jaren plays Loree oboes.

Ben Atherholt, bassoon

Benjamin Atherholt is Lecturer of Bassoon at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Programming Director for Lyrica Baroque, and Contrabassoonist with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra performing each summer in upstate New York. His specialty as a Contrabassoonist has engaged him in performances with orchestras including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and Houston Symphony, where he is featured on the 2013 Grammy Award winning recording of Berg’s Wozzeck. A passionate educator, Ben is the Instructor of Bassoon at Tulane University and frequently teaches as a featured guest artist in masterclasses and residencies across the country. Ben grew up in Houston, Texas and holds a B.M. in performance and composition from Oberlin Conservatory studying under the tutelage of George Sakakeeny and Jeffrey Mumford respectively.

Bernadette Lo, piano

Bernadette Lo is a highly accomplished collaborative pianist with extensive experience in both vocal and instrumental music. She has worked in the studios of renowned sopranos such as Carol Vaness, Cynthia Haymon, and Martina Arroyo. For several years, she served as one of the official accompanists for the Orpheus National Vocal Competition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Bernadette Lo has concertized nationally with violist Hillary Herndon, with whom she has recorded several compact discs, including works by female composers such as Harrison and Decruck. She is regularly invited to collaborate with guest artists at events like the Tennessee Cello Workshop and UT Viola Celebration. Additionally, Bernadette has performed in recitals with acclaimed instrumentalists such as Dale Clevenger and David Griffin (both of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Ronald Barron (of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), and Joe Burgstaller (of the Canadian Brass). She has also served as a collaborative pianist for events like the International Horn Symposium, Southeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference (SERTEC), and International Tuba Euphonium Conference (ITEC).

Bernadette Lo received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently, she holds the position of Visiting Professor of Piano at the University of the South at Sewanee and serves as a staff pianist at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Additionally, she serves as a repetiteur at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria in the summer.

Guest Artists

Jessica Smithorn, oboe

Jessica Smithorn is the second oboist of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, principal oboist of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, a member of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra Wind Quintet, as well as principal oboist of the Shippensburg Festival Orchestra. She previously was the English hornist with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and was an associate musician with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Equally comfortable in leadership and section roles, Jessica has regularly appeared with orchestras such as the Buffalo Philharmonic (including a NAXOS recording project), Omaha Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, and Cincinnati Ballet. She was also the oboist on a tour of Mexico with the Eastman Broadband Ensemble, a new music group dedicated to performing the music of Latinx composers.

Jessica studied at the Eastman School of Music with Richard Killmer; the College-Conservatory of Music with Mark Ostoich, Dwight Parry, and Chris Philpotts; and the University of Missouri-Kansas City with Barbara Bishop. When she’s not making reeds or practicing, Jessica enjoys baking, playing with her cats, and taking nature walks.

Eric Anderson, bassoon

Eric Anderson has been principal bassoonist of the CSO (Chattanooga Symphony and Opera) Orchestra and bassoonist of the CSO Wind Quintet since 1996.

He attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University for post graduate work where he studied with Benjamin Kamins.

He has performed with the Florida Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, the Bergen (Norway) Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Hampshire Music Festival.