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Rachel Frederiksen is an in-demand bassoonist and educator who performs across the United States and abroad. As a Texas native, she currently works in San Antonio at the University of Incarnate Word and the surrounding areas. Her previous university appointments were at the University of Arkansas, University of Alabama and the University of Texas at San Antonio as Professor of Bassoon.

As a soloist, Rachel performed her recently published transcription of Emilie Mayer’s Sonata in E Minor (originally for violin) at the 2024 International Double Reed Society (IDRS) in Flagstaff, AZ. She also performed her Tour of South America recital program at the 2022 IDRS conference and in San Germán, Puerto Rico at the Puerto Rico Center for Collaborative Piano Festival where she served as a guest artist and faculty member. As a recording artist, Rachel can be heard her YouTube channel and on Ricardo Lorenz’s chamber music CD, Open Borders. The piece on this album that features her and Apothix Trio is called ‘Tendril Rapture.’ Currently, Rachel is in the editing stage of her recent recording projects, which includes the consortium piece Rude Moods, an unaccompanied bassoon suite by Aaron Houston.

In demand as an orchestral musician, Rachel served as Principal Bassoon with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra for 2022-2023 season. She previously served as a section bassoonist of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and Symphony of the Hills orchestra as well as guest appearances with many other ensembles including Victoria Symphony and SA Harmonia. As a chamber musician, Rachel is a founding member of Apothix Trio, a chamber ensemble featuring the oboe, bassoon, and piano. This ensemble is an up-and-coming group that is comprised of musicians from diverse backgrounds whose goal is to share music not just from the standard repertoire, but to also commission new works from underrepresented composers at the highest level of musicianship. Rachel has also performed regularly at festivals and venues throughout the United States including International Double Reed Society conferences, MegQuigley Bassoon Symposium, and the Memphis International Prizm Chamber Ensemble Festival.

As a researcher and academic, Rachel is actively investigating the life and works of German composer Emilie Mayer, and keenly transcribing her violin sonatas to be performable on bassoon. She also focuses on undergraduate teaching techniques and student learning in higher education in both private bassoon lessons and classroom teaching. While at MSU, Rachel was a part of a team of researchers and artists from the Michigan State University Residential College of Arts and Humanities (RCAH) Fellowship Program. Their project, titled ‘Love the Learner,’ investigates professor/student relationships and their effects on student learning. The preliminary findings show that developing deeper connections with students, having student input on class structure and topics, and having clear personal and work boundaries allow for positive learning environments. Rachel has delivered presentations and masterclasses at universities and festivals internationally including IDRS conferences College Music Society conferences, PRCCP, and  MegQuigley Bassoon Symposia, Midwest Double Reed Society Festival, University of Oklahoma, and Northwestern State University, among many others.

​Dr. Rachel Frederiksen completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Michigan State University. She holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from Texas Lutheran University and a Master of Music and Master of Music Education degrees from Baylor University, where she was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Fraternity. When she is not busy teaching, performing, or reed-making, you can find Rachel hanging out with her friends or helping her parents with their many basset hounds and cats in their home in Texas.

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Upcoming Events:

Victoria Symphony
Spooktacular
Victoria, TX
October 17, 2024
6:30PM

Victoria Symphony
Ana and Dmitri
Victoria, TX
October 19, 2024
7:30PM

Poulenc Festival
University of Incarnate Word
Bennack Music Center
San Antonio, TX
December 6-8, 2024

Apothix Trio
Memphis, TN
Beethoven Club
December 16, 2024
7:30PM
Trezevant
December 17, 2024
7:15PM

 MegQuigley Bassoon Symposium
University of North Carolina
School of the Arts
Winston-Salem, NC
January 9-12, 2025
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2025 Puerto Rico Double Reed Day
Artist in Residence
Escuela Libre de Musica Juan Morel Campos de Ponce
Ponce, PR
February 20-21, 2025

Victoria Symphony
Westwater Arts and Victoria's 200th!
Victoria, TX
March 1, 2025
7:30PM

Midsouth Regional IDRS Festival
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA
March 28-30 2025

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