About Saxton Rose

Arts leader, bassoonist, and educator Saxton Rose is one of America’s most recognized bassoon soloists and chamber musicians. He has performed in some of the most important concert halls and taught at the most prestigious universities and conservatories throughout the world and is a leading advocate for the performance and commissioning of works by living composers.

Saxton Rose is Dean of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. As Dean, Rose serves as executive of all programs, operations and personnel in the School of Music, including all graduate, undergraduate and high school academic offerings. He leads and supervises more than 60 faculty and staff. As the artistic director of the School of Music, he directs the production of more than 200 performances and events annually, engages guest artists and curates all concert series. He also oversees the A.J. Fletcher Opera and Chrysalis Chamber Music Institute.

An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, he is principal bassoonist with the Winston-Salem Symphony and a member of the acclaimed New York-based wind quintet Zéphyros Winds. He is also director of the nu ensemble, the School of Music’s contemporary music group, and a co-founder of Dark in the Song, a bassoon “super-group” dedicated to commissioning and performing contemporary music. He served as Principal Bassoonist of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra from 2003 to 2008 and has performed as Principal Bassoonist with Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Arizona MusicFest Orchestra, and Alarm Will Sound.

Mr. Rose studied at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and graduated with highest honors from the class of Stefano Canuti at the Conservatorio “Agostino Steffani” in Castelfranco-Veneto, Italy. He is a J. Püchner artist and performs on the Model Superior/6000 bassoon.