Ednan Al-Asady is a second-year undergraduate majoring in bassoon performance at ASU. Born and raised in Glendale Arizona, Ednan currently performs with the ASU Wind Symphony and plays the contrabassoon for the ASU Wind Ensemble. 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 15 years of performance.

Near the end of July 2024, Ednan attended the 53^rd 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.

As of January, Ednan has been working part time as an assistant caretaker for the Steinway and Sons gallery in Scottsdale, where he is responsible for the care of over $4 million worth of instruments.

Evelyn Andresen-Chen is a third-year performance major at Arizona State University (ASU). She is originally from Chandler, Arizona, and began studying bassoon in 2022. In pursuit of musical development, Evelyn has recently participated in music festivals across North America, such as Domaine Forget de Charlevoix in Quebec, Canada and Orford Winds in Montreal, Canada. At these festivals, Evelyn studied under Martin Kuuskmann, Lola Descours, Nadine Mackie, Matthieu Lussier, and Stéphane Lèvesque. While at Orford Winds she had the pleasure of premiering an arrangement of Amanda Harberg’s Tenement Rhapsody for wind octet!

During high school, Evelyn attended the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp as part of the Bassoon Intensive program; studying under Eric Stomberg, Ben Kamins, and Leigh Muñoz. She also performed with the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO) for two years, playing both principal and second bassoon in concerts and company 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 board games, and reading fiction books. She especially loves traveling and finds great joy in exploring new places!

Owen Johnson is a bassoonist pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Learning and Teaching at Arizona State University, where he studies with Albie Micklich. Originally from Spanaway, Washington, he performs with the ASU Wind Symphony and Philharmonia. Johnson is a three-time state finalist in the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) Solo and Ensemble Contest.

Alongside his studies, Johnson teaches private bassoon lessons, sharing his passion for the instrument with younger students. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he plans to pursue a master’s and eventually a doctorate in bassoon performance, continuing to grow as both a performer and an educator.

Outside of music, Johnson enjoys spending time with his orange cat, Gus.

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

Lucas Lyum was 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 3 years. He is a dedicated musician, helping out with his) conservatory’s events and concerts. In his first full year of playing Bassoon he 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 is he one of the few students to be able to participate in 2 NMEA All-state ensembles, but 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.

Lucas is very excited to start the new school semester and learn more new techniques and things about the bassoon.

Nicholas Muir is a senior 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 Mid-West 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 conference in Las Vegas and volunteered at the International Double Reed Society Conference in Flagstaff, assisting with several world premiere performances, all in the same year. 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. He is also planning on attending the Mid-West Clinic which is an international clinic, as music educator for December of 2026.

Caroline Sanders is a Junior 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. Currently, Caroline plays in the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble at ASU. 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.

Cooper Taylor is a senior bassoon performance undergraduate student at Arizona State University. Born in Glendale, Arizona, Cooper began bassoon in 2018 and has since traveled across the country and the world to cultivate his musical knowledge, most notably performing in the 2026 Vienna Summer Music Festival, the 2026 Akropolis Reed Quintet Chamber Music Institute, the 2025 National Music Festival under Jeffery Keesecker, the 2025 Saarburg International Music Festival, the 2023 Music For All Honor Band of America, and the 2022 UNCSA Chamber Music Academy of Southern Germany under Saxton Rose. He also participated in bassoon workshops at the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix in 2026 and Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) in 2023, learning from pedagogues Mathieu Lussier, Nadina Mackie, Martin

Kuuskmann, Lola Descours, and Margaret Phillips. 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, written by Kincaid Rabb and Sergey

Khvorostianov, respectively. He also participated in a performance class hosted by Gina Moore and another by 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. He has also participated in ASU oerformance classes by Monica Ellis, Mark Dover, Aaron Pergram, and Christopher Witt.

Outside of music, Cooper frequently lifts weights, runs, and reads books. In the Spring of 2024, Cooper ran a Spartan 10k and finished in the top 15 percent of racers. In

January of 2026, he ran the Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon! Cooper is a morning person and loves to be outdoors!

Jake Van Quathem is a second-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 past summers, Jake has also toured the country performing with drum and bugle corps on tuba, including The Academy and the Madison Scouts.

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.

As of Fall 2026, Jake works as a visual tech for the Sunnyslope High School marching band. He plans to pursue a career as a high school band director. His goal is to build an inclusive, high-achieving music program where every student feels empowered to succeed.