Ednan Al-Asady is a first-year undergraduate majoring in bassoon performance at ASU. Born and raised in Glendale, Arizona, Ednan performs in ASU’s Wind Symphony and Sun Devil Marching Band where he plays the tenor saxophone. He seeks to learn and understand every aspect of the art of performance, as well as master bassoon reed making. Classically trained in piano by the Hovland Conservatory of Music, Ednan continues to sharpen his skills after 13 years of performance. Near the end of July 2024, Ednan attended the 53rd annual International Double Reeds Society conference where he met his idol, Kristian Oma Rønnes -  the virtuosic bassoon player who inspired him to learn the instrument. This meeting gave him the drive to continue into the realm of professional performance. In 2025, Ednan was selected through audition as the second chair bassoonist of the Arizona All-State Honor Band where he performed many moving pieces including the original version of John William’s Star Wars. For three consecutive years, Ednan performed at the annual ASU Bassoonists of the Valley, where he gained valuable solo performance experience before entering university. In his final performance at the event, Ednan performed the infamous Steinmetz Bassoon Sonata that challenged him to learn extended techniques.  

Evelyn Andresen-Chen is a second-year performance major at Arizona State University (ASU). She is originally from Chandler, Arizona, and is a graduate of Basha High School (BHS). During high school, Evelyn attended the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp as part of the Bassoon Intensive program and performed with the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO) for two years, playing both principal and second bassoon in concerts and ballet productions.

Since beginning her studies at ASU, Evelyn has been grateful for the opportunity to perform with the Scottsdale Philharmonic and to serve as a substitute with several local community orchestras in addition to ensembles at school, gaining valuable experience in a range of ensemble settings.

Outside of music, Evelyn enjoys a variety of hobbies, including shopping, playing tabletop games, and reading fiction books. She especially loves traveling and finds great joy in exploring new places!.

Legend Barnes, was born in Houston Tx, and lived there for 16 years. After which he moved to Alexandria Va, and graduated from Alexandria City High School. He is a Freshman Music Learning and Teaching Major here at ASU. He started with Bassoon as his first instrument in the 6th grade and has since picked up percussion, voice, and jazz. Some of his accomplishments include, singing with the Washington Chorus during their Christmas concerts at both Strathmore and The Lincoln Center, Playing the Washington Post March by John Phillps Sousa with the United States Navy Band and, Being appointed Principal Bassoonist at the Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria Campus Community Band as a junior in high school amongst other things. After undergrad Legend plans on becoming a high school band director to give back to the community that he says gave him so much.

Lucas Lyum is a Sophomore in Music Learning and Teaching Major, from Las Vegas, Nevada. He started his musical Journey at Pinecrest Sloan Canyon and will continue through college. He participated in his band's top wind ensemble and the top choral ensemble at his high school.

 Lucas Lyum is Primarily a Vocalist and decided to take up the challenge of Bassoon late in his junior year of high school and has been playing bassoon for 2 years. He is a dedicated musician, helping out with his Conservatory’s events and concerts. In his first full year of playing Bassoon he had shocked himself by making it into the 2024 Nevada Music Education Association (NMEA) All-state Band Festival sitting 4th chair Bassoon. (That might not seem impressive to you, but to him it was a big achievement.) Not only that he is also one of the few students to be able to participate in 2 NMEA All-state ensembles, for he also made it into the NMEA All-State Choir festival.

On top of this Lucas was a leader in his choral ensemble, being a section leader for the Bass, Baritone, and Tenors, and being a student conductor for his Intermediate and beginning choirs. Lucas was also the first person at his school to finish the Conservatory program and received an award for it.

 In his free time he would listen to music or watch videos. He would also attempt to compose and arrange music for fun as well.

Aviel Martinez-Mason is a fourth-year undergraduate Bassoon Performance major from Tempe, Arizona. He graduated from Marcos de Niza High School’s Fine Arts Academy in May of 2022. At ASU, he has performed with the Sun Devil Marching Band, ASU Wind Symphony, ASU Philharmonia, ASU Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. Aviel has attended multiple conferences of the International Double Reed Society. He has also performed at the Rocky Ridge Chamber Music Intensive, and has done freelance bassoon work in the Valley.

Aviel hopes to achieve a Master's in Bassoon Performance and eventually join a symphony orchestra. He is also currently pursuing a certificate in vocal pedagogy at ASU. He has been teaching voice lessons for 1 year, and one day plans to teach both voice and bassoon lessons. Throughout his childhood, he sang with the Phoenix Children’s Chorus for 10.5 years, traveling to New York City’s Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. In his free time, he loves to cook and play tabletop games.

Nicholas Muir is a junior at Arizona State University pursuing a degree in Music Learning and Teaching. Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, into a military family, Nich began his musical journey on saxophone before discovering the bassoon in middle school. Within a year, he earned first chair in the Southeastern United States Middle School Honor Band and later achieved the same distinction in both the Alabama District and All-State Bands all throughout high school.

In high school, Nich’s accomplishments included performing at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago with his school’s top ensemble. At ASU, he has further distinguished himself as a performer and educator. He performed with the ASU Wind Symphony at the 2024 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) conference in Las Vegas and volunteered at the International Double Reed Society (IDRS) Conference in Flagstaff, assisting with several world premiere performances. In 2025, Nich began teaching internships in Arizona public schools, where he is gaining hands-on experience leading band rehearsals, teaching sectionals, and supporting music classrooms across grade levels.

Jake Van Quathem is a first-year undergraduate student at ASU, majoring in Music Learning and Teaching. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, he is an active performer, playing bassoon with the ASU Wind Symphony and marching sousaphone with the Sun Devil Marching Band.

Jake graduated from Sunnyslope High School, where he was a four-year member of the marching, concert, and jazz bands. During high school, he performed in the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) Regional Band in his freshman year and the AMEA Regional Orchestra in his sophomore, junior, and senior years. In 2024, he marched tuba with The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, gaining valuable experience at a national level.

Outside of performing, Jake enjoys playing video games, hanging out with friends, and arranging music. He is also an Eagle Scout from Troop 329, with a strong love for camping, hiking, and leadership.

Jake plans to pursue a career as a high school band director. He is passionate about building an inclusive, high-achieving music program where every student feels empowered to succeed.

Caroline Sanders is a sophomore at Arizona State University studying Music Therapy. Caroline is from Frisco, Texas and graduated from Frisco Centennial High School where they played in the Wind Symphony. In their time in high school they were a part of several All-region ensembles including the Symphonic band (2023),  the Wind Ensemble as principal bassoon (2024), The Region Orchestra as principal bassoon (2024), and the TMEA All-State Philharmonic Orchestra (2024). They also participated in the University Interscholastic League Solo and ensemble competition and received superior ratings for all four years. Caroline was also a member of the Centennial High School Marching Band and was a Saxophone Section leader their senior year. Outside of school events, they also played in the prestigious Greater Dallas Youth Orchestras’ top ensemble for one year, performing at the Meyerson Symphony center. They have also taught masterclasses at their local middle school and at the Bocal Majority Bassoon and Oboe summer camp. Caroline is also a part of the Sun Devil Marching Band and is the Tenor Saxophone section leader. Aside from music, Caroline enjoys drawing, reading, thrifting, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Aaron Sheppard is a freshman at Arizona State University majoring in Bassoon Performance. Aaron is originally from Vail, Arizona, and graduated from Cienega High School. He has been playing bassoon for the past 4 years. During high school, Aaron was heavily involved in his music program, being principal bassoon in his school’s symphonic band and the drum major for his school’s marching band. He also participated in AMEA regionals three times. Additionally, he was president of his school’s United Sound chapter, a club devoted to teaching students with physical and intellectual disabilities musical instruments. Aaron also played in the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra (TPYO) for his senior year.

In addition to the bassoon, Aaron has played the piano for the past eleven years, performing regularly in recitals. Outside of music, Aaron enjoys reading, learning languages, and playing video games.

Cooper Taylor is a junior bassoon performance major at Arizona State University. Born in Glendale, Arizona, Cooper began bassoon lessons in 2018 and has since traveled across the country and the world to cultivate his musical knowledge, most notably performing in the 2025 National Music Festival under Jeffery Keesecker, 2025 Saarburg International Music Festival, 2023 Music For All Honor Band of America, the 2023 Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Bassoon Workshop under Margaret Phillips, and UNCSA’s 2022 Chamber Music Academy of Southern Germany under Saxton Rose.

While in high school, Cooper performed in the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO) for four years, playing principal or second bassoon for their large orchestral works and ballets. During his participation in PYSO, Cooper placed third in their concerto competition and received the opportunity to attend the BUTI festival for free.

At the International Double Reed Society conference in the summer of 2024, Cooper premiered two new works for bassoon quartet and participated in a performance class hosted by Gina Moore and another under Kristin Wolfe Jensen. During his time at ASU, Cooper has had the pleasure of performing with the AZ Musicfest Orchestra, the Scottsdale Philharmonic, and ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra.

Outside of music, Cooper frequently lifts weights and reads nonfiction books. In the Spring of 2024, Cooper ran a Spartan 10k and finished in the top 15 percent of racers. He is an early-morning person and loves to be outdoors!