Hailing from British Columbia, Canada, Janet Underhill, has been a bassoonist, teacher, conductor and administrator in the Boston area for over 25 years. Currently she is the director of Preparatory Winds for Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras and Director of Senior Wind Ensemble for Community Music Center of Boston. As an administrator, Ms. Underhill is the Director of Private Lessons and Instrumental Music for St. Mark’s School of Southborough. Ms. Underhill is also bassoon instructor at North Eastern University, Boston College and South Shore Conservatory. A nationally recognized teacher, she was the recipient of the Kay Login Chamber Music America Award for excellence in chamber music teaching in 2001.
Janet is a founding member of Arcadian Winds, a woodwind quintet specializing in contemporary music that has commissioned and premiered more than 50 works. As a soloist she has performed at the International Double Reed Conference in Minneapolis, The Fromm Series at Harvard University, the Gaudeamus Competition in Rotterdam, Holland, The Women’s Avant Festival in Chicago, The Warebrook Contemporary Music Festival in Vermont, The Outoftowners series in New York City, CrossSounds in Alaska and Soundwaves in St. Petersburg, Russia. Also interested in archival projects, she has developed a cataloguing system for ethnic recordings with composer Martin Bartlett, and has organized Gunther Schuller’s personal collection.
Janet has been on the faculty at South Shore Conservatory since 1987.
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