Originally from Greenville SC, bassoonist Jake Fowler currently serves as 3rd bassoon & contrabassoon with The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and principal bassoon with the Johnson City Symphony. Formerly serving as 3rd bassoon and contrabassoon with The Arkansas Symphony Orchestras, Fowler has performed as a guest musician with such organizations as The Nashville Symphony, The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, The Charlotte Symphony, The Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, and The New World Symphony. Fowler attended the Eastman School of music for his Bachelors and his Masters Degrees where he studied with Professor George Sakakeeny to whom he is deeply grateful.

Emma Fuller recently completed her Master of Music degree in Bassoon Performance from the Yale School of Music, studying with Frank Morelli. She holds the second bassoon position for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic in Scranton, PA and has performed with the Albany Symphony and Princeton Symphony orchestras. Emma is also passionate about teaching and holds a bachelors degree in music education and continues to maintain a private lesson studio.

Derek Schraufstetter is a bassoonist and contrabassoonist currently studying with Benjamin Kamins for his Master’s Degree at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Derek has performed with the New World Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, and San Antonio Philharmonic, among others. He has also held positions in the South Bend Symphony and the Aspen Music Festival, where he will be contrabassoon fellow for his second year in 2026. Derek has also appeared at the Chautauqua and Eastern Music Festivals, as well as the New York String Orchestra Seminar. His other major teachers include Thomas English and Jonathan Sherwin.

Nolan Wenik is a bassoonist from Philadelphia currently receiving his master's degree from the University of Houston studying with Elise Wagner. He previously received his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University studying with David McGill, after which he spent time working as a freelancer and administrator in the Philadelphia area. He is currently second bassoonist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, a position he began during the 2025-26 season, and teaches privately in the Houston area. He has performed with the Arkansas and Reading Symphony Orchestras, the Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and various local Philadelphia ensembles.

Owen Campbell is a clarinetist currently studying with Joaquin Valdepeñas at the Glenn Gould School of Music. He is a performing clarinetist who plays primarily with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. Owen has worked with numerous Conductors, including Iván Fischer, Peter Oundjian and Jo-Ann Falletta, and has collaborated with performing artists such as Jonathan Alter and Renée Fleming. Owen is a Toronto native. His past teachers have included Samuel Boutris and Dominic Desautels.

Benjamin Lopez, clarinet, is a graduating senior at George Mason University pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance under Dr. Kathleen Mulcahy. A recipient of the Monson Scholarship, he has performed with the George Mason University Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, and Opera Orchestra, and is a multi-year Honors Recitalist and recent Concerto Competition winner. Benjamin has participated in festivals including the Aspen Music Festival and School, PRISMA Music Festival, and Sewanee Summer Music Festival. His artistic interests center upon chamber music, contemporary repertoire, and expanding the expressive possibilities of the clarinet through collaborative performance.

Greg Hamilton is currently the acting bass/section clarinet of the Fort Worth Symphony for the 2025-26 season. Prior to this position he was an active freelance musician based in Cleveland, OH where he performed with The Cleveland Orchestra on multiple occasions and held principal clarinet positions with the Firelands and Lima symphony orchestras. He holds a masters degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Afendi Yusuf and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia as a student of D. Ray McClellan.

Ben is a returning student to the Aspen Music Festival and School. He has performed as Acting Second Clarinet with the Dallas Opera for the past two seasons, and currently holds positions with The Dallas Winds, Las Colinas Symphony, and East Texas Symphony. As a freelancer, he frequently performs with the Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth, and many more. Previous summer festivals Ben has attended include the Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, Spoleto Festival USA, and Eastern Festival of Music. Ben is a Performing Artist for D'addario.

Eric Huang is a clarinetist from San Jose, California. He recently graduated from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University with his Master of Music studying with Richie Hawley. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Eric started playing piano and switched to clarinet after moving to the United States. Previously, he participated in the Aspen Music Festival and School as an ACA fellow and the Brevard Music Center. Prior to his graduate studies, Eric earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied with Michael Rusinek. Outside of music, Eric loves cooking steak and watching Formula 1.

Born in Ibagué, Colombia, in 1995, he is a clarinetist formed at the Ibagué Conservatory and the National University of Colombia. He has received important awards, including first prize at the National Clarinet Competition “CLARIBOGOTÁ” and recognition as a young soloist with the Cali Philharmonic Orchestra and Banco de la República. He has performed with leading orchestras in Colombia and Canada, earned an Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School in Toronto, and completed a Master’s degree in Clarinet Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Latin GRAMMY Awards, among others.

Emily DeNucci currently attends the Curtis Institute of Music studying Flute Performance with Jeffrey Khaner and Chelsea Knox. Her former teachers include Greig Shearer and Sonora Slocum. In 2025 and 2023, Emily was invited to play principal flute for the NY String Orchestra Seminar, which each included two performances at Carnegie Hall. This past summer, she had the opportunity to be a part of the Pacific Music Festival which is located in Japan. In previous summers, she participated in the National Repertory Orchestra, NYO-USA, and Curtis on Tour. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and playing cards.

Abi Middaugh is from the Detroit area and just graduated from the University of Michigan with her Bachelor's degree. For the past two years, she has been a member of the Flint Symphony Orchestra, and with the UMich Symphony Orchestra, has participated in their tour to South Africa and Carnegie Hall, a joint concert with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and several premieres. Abi will be moving to Houston in the fall to pursue her Master's degree at Rice University. She is excited for her third summer at AMFS, and second year being an ACA Fellow!

Phoebe Rawn is an avid orchestral musician who returns to Aspen this summer as the AFO Piccolo Fellow, having previously attended the festival as the ACA Flute Fellow in 2023 and 2024. In addition to her flute playing, Phoebe is a passionate piccolo player and dedicated advocate for new music. She recently received her master's degree from The Juilliard School, where she was awarded the Norman Benzaquen Career Grant upon her graduation. Phoebe has previously studied with Jeffrey Khaner, Peter Verhoyen, Mindy Kaufman, and Zart Dombourian-Eby.

George Andrews is a Graduate student at Rice University studying Horn Performance under Elizabeth Freimuth. Recently, he has performed with the Naples Philharmonic, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, and the New World Symphony. George has spent summers at the Aspen Music Festival and the National Repertory Orchestra.

Sophie Choy (b. 2005) is a horn player from Hong Kong currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree at The Juilliard School as a Stephen E. Somers Scholar, where she studies with Erik Ralske, principal horn of the Metropolitan Opera. Previously, she attended Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied with Corbin Wagner and Lauren Hunt. Sophie has also participated in summer programs, including the Sarasota Music Festival and the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute. This summer, she returns to the Aspen Music Festival and School as the Festival Orchestra’s third horn fellow, studying with Andrew Bain, and Alex Kienle.

Charlie Johnson, a native of Dallas, Texas, is a rising junior at Southern Methodist University, pursuing degrees in Horn Performance and Music Education, studying under David Heyde and Haley Hoops. Charlie spent last summer in Washington, D.C. as an NSO-SMI Fellow. At SMU, Charlie has the privilege of playing with the Meadows Wind Ensemble under the direction of Jack Delaney and the Meadows Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Edward Cumming. When he’s not playing the horn, Charlie loves to play basketball, read, and solve his vast array of Rubik’s cubes.

Jane Yoo is an international prize-winning harpist recognized for major awards, including prizes at the USA International Harp Competition, Korean International Harp Competition, and Szeged International Harp Competition, along with recognition from the Lyon & Healy Awards. Named a 2024 Young Artist in Residence by Performance Today, she has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras and at major festivals. She is an Aspen Music Festival harp fellow (2025–2026) and serves as associate principal harpist with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Seoul National University, and a Master of Music from the Yale School of Music.

Robert Burleson is a recent graduate at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, studying with Titus Underwood. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Robert attended the Eastern Music Festival in the Summer of 2023 where he concluded the season as a winner of the Eastern Music Festival Concerto Competition, performing the Eugene Goossens Concerto for Oboe with the Festival Orchestra. He spent his summer of 2024 at the Aspen Music Festival studying with Elaine Douvas, and Minjia Liu. Robert has subbed and performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, and Winnipeg Symphony.

Will Simpfendorfer, 20, recently completed his sophomore year at The Juilliard School, where he studies with Elaine Douvas. He began studying music at age 11 in Colorado Springs before attending Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied with Dr. Dane Philipsen. William has attended the Aspen Music Festival, the National Orchestral Institute, and the Brevard Music Festival. This summer, he will attend the Colorado College Summer Music Festival and Aspen as an ACA Fellow.

JD Uchal is an Indianapolis-based oboist who is passionate about artistic collaboration and exploring diverse musical genres. He has performed with ProMusica, the Columbus Symphony, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and is a dedicated chamber musician, having previously organized wind octet concerts featuring music from a wide range of living and past composers. He also worked as an engineer for Fox Products, helping design woodwind instruments and streamline the production process. JD obtained an M.M. from The Boston Conservatory and a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Robert Sheena and Richard Killmer.

Yang Yu is an oboist from Vancouver, Canada, where he studied with Geronimo Mendoza at the Vancouver Academy of Music. He continued his studies at the Mannes School of Music and The Juilliard School with Elaine Douvas. Yang has spent recent summers at the Tanglewood Music Center, the Music Academy of the West, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, where his playing can be heard on their album release: Aurora (2023).

Marcus Alvarado is a percussionist, educator, and arranger currently based in Austin, Texas. Marcus has performed with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, the Central Texas Philharmonic, Chorus Austin, and the Dallas Brass Band. Marcus is active both as a soloist, chamber musician, and ensemble performer. Marcus completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from The University of North Texas, a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from Baylor University, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at The University of Texas at Austin.

Pou I Chao is a percussionist from Macau currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Performance at DePaul University, where she studies with Cynthia Yeh, Eric Millstein, and Ian Ding. Chao is a recipient of the Macau Special Talent Scholarship in Music and was runner-up in the 2026 DePaul Concerto Competition. She has participated in the Aspen Music Festival, Brevard Music Festival, and Eastern Music Festival.

Minwoo Jeong is a Korean percussionist and timpanist currently pursuing his undergraduate studies at The Juilliard School. He has performed as a guest musician with the KBS Symphony Orchestra and the Gwacheon Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea, and in 2025, he participated as a percussionist with the National Repertory Orchestra. He is currently studying with Gregory Zuber and Markus Rhoten at Juilliard, and has previously studied with Edward Choi and Eunjung Kim.

Justin Melvin, from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a New York City based timpanist and percussionist. He is currently earning his Bachelor’s degree at The Juilliard School, studying with Daniel Druckman and Markus Rhoten of the New York Philharmonic. Recently, Justin received first prize in the 2025 Modern Snare Drum Competition, and has previously spent summers at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and Kentucky’s Governor’s School for the Arts. He is this year’s recipient of the Aspen Conducting Academy timpani fellowship.

Nate Wasihun, a native of Lilburn, Georgia, is an NYC-based trombonist. He is a current student of Colin Williams and set to graduate from the Manhattan School of Music with a BM in 2026. Nate has played with the New World Symphony, New England Symphonic Ensemble, Camerata Notturna, and Grammy Award-Winning New York Youth Symphony. He attended the Aspen Music Festival and School this past summer as a fellow and was the runner up in the Brass Solo Competition. He has also performed with Grammy Award-winning artists Angelique Kidjo and Derrick Hodge at Carnegie Hall in November 2025.

Grace Lipscomb is a sophomore trombone performance major at Baylor University, where she studies with Austin Richardson. Originally from Mansfield, Texas, she began playing trombone at age 11. Grace actively performs with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Wayne Fisher Jazz Ensemble, Bella Voce, Trombone Choir, and has subbed with the Waco Symphony Orchestra. She has also already shown success in auditions, advancing to semifinals in the Dallas Winds Utility Trombone Audition and winning a position in the Air Force Regional Bands. Outside of music, Grace enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Ethan Whitlow, 22, is a Canadian trombonist who recently completed a year of graduate studies with Peter Sullivan at Carnegie Mellon University. He previously studied with Vanessa Fralick and Megan Hodge at the University of Toronto, earning a B.Mus (2025). An alumnus of Canada’s National Academy Orchestra (2024), he has since appeared under renowned conductors including Gustavo Gimeno and Gerard Schwarz. This past spring, he performed John Mackey’s "Harvest" as the winner of concerto competitions at both UofT and CMU. In September, he will return to Toronto to study with Gordon Wolfe at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Cheng-Yong Hou is a Taiwanese trumpet player and graduate of Taipei National University of the Arts. He is currently active as a freelance musician in Taiwan. In 2026, he was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Aspen Music Festival and School. He was also a full scholarship recipient at the Taipei Music Academy and Festival in 2024 and 2025. In 2022, he won first prize at the Taiwan Trumpet Competition and was selected as a trumpet fellow in the National Symphony Orchestra Academy program. He has performed internationally as a member of the Asian Youth Orchestra.

Harold Villa is a Honduran trumpeter and educator in the North Central Florida area. He served as Principal Trumpet of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Honduras and has performed with orchestras across Latin America and the United States. Harold is the principal trumpet of the Gainesville Orchestra, and performs with Ocala Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, North Charleston Pops Orchestra, Coastal Symphony of Georgia, and The Johnny Mathis Big Band. He teaches trumpet at the College of Central Florida and founded the international Collective Chamber Orchestra, touring throughout Latin America and Europe.

Charley Pollard is a Los Angeles based tuba player who believes in music’s ability to connect people through shared emotional experience. A recent graduate of the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Aaron Tindall, he previously earned his Bachelor of Music from the Frost School of Music. Through orchestral and ensemble performance, Pollard has developed a musical approach centered on communication, balance, and expressive connection. He will begin a trial with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at the start of its upcoming season and remains passionate about orchestral performance, collaboration, and teaching.