R. Conrad Cornelison has been working as a bassoonist with the Houston Grand Opera orchestra since 2015, and has formerly held the positions of Principal Bassoonist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra (Baton Rouge, LA) and Principal Bassoonist with the Symphony of Southeast Texas (Beaumont, TX). In the 2014-2015 season, he was a Young Artist fellow with Da Camera of Houston. Other appearances include performances with the Houston Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and Ballet Lubbock, among others. He holds degrees from Rice University, Juilliard, and the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied with Benjamin Kamins, Patricia Rogers, and Eric Stomberg, respectively. His early bassoon studies took place primarily with Matthew Schuler and Dan Duncan.
Conrad shares, “Performing with the National Repertory Orchestra was a fantastic experience for me in many ways. Having just finished my graduate studies when I joined the NRO, I feel as though the NRO experience was extremely helpful in transitioning to the professional world. I was given a training ground with the responsibility of learning – and performing at a high level – a much larger volume and variety of music than I had ever encountered before. Throughout the course of the summer, I learned to adapt to the expectations placed upon me, and found more efficient ways to guide my preparation and develop a greater consistency in my playing. I had the opportunity to perform amazing pieces of music with a fine orchestra, work with fantastic colleagues, and develop long-lasting connections and friendships.”