PSO Soundtracks: Meet the Bassoon
You're invited into the world of professional bassoonist Brad Balliett, principal bassoon of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra. From the never-ending task of designing and crafting reeds from scratch, to the unique challenges bassoonists face in the orchestra, the standard repertoire, and famous solos, there is so much to discover! If you've ever been curious about what life is like playing one of the most unusual instruments in existence, this event will answer all of your burning questions!
Attendees of the presentation will have the chance to enter to win tickets to the Princeton Symphony Orchestra's opening concerts on October 17th and 18th.
Soundtracks is presented as a PSO BRAVO! community outreach program in partnership with the Princeton Public Library.
The series is sponsored in the 2026-27 season by AffinIT.
Featured
BRAD BALLIETT enjoys being a musical omnivore, focusing equal parts of his career on composing, playing bassoon, and teaching artistry. Brad is principal bassoon of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, a member of Signal and Metropolis Ensemble, and Artistic Director for Decoda, the first and only Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall. He is on faculty at The Peabody Institute, The Juilliard School, and Musicambia.
As a bassoonist, Brad has performed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera, Houston Symphony, New York City Ballet, and the International Contemporary Ensemble, and at the Marlboro, Tanglewood, Stellenbosch, Newport Jazz, and Lucerne Festivals. He has performed as a soloist with the Houston Symphony and Johannesburg Symphony Orchestras.
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Location
Princeton Public Library
"Community Room"
65 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ
