Jack Peña is the Principal Bassoonist of the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans, a chair he has held since 2016. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Jack began playing music at age eleven, finally focusing on the bassoon at fourteen. Since then, he has performed with the St. Paul, Seattle, Houston, Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Toronto symphonies. In 2013, The New York Times hailed him for his “deft solo work” in performances at Carnegie Hall. Also an active soloist, Mr. Peña will appear this spring with the Louisiana Philharmonic performing Villa-Lobos’ Ciranda das Sete Notas for solo bassoon and orchestra. Other than the Louisiana Philharmonic, he has appeared with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra and Colburn Conservatory Orchestra. His summers have been spent as a member of the Lakes Area Music Festival, Colorado Music Festival and Sunflower Music Festival as well as holding fellowships at the Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, Spoleto Festival USA, and Aspen Music Festival and School. Jack received his undergraduate degree in 2015 from the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles where he studied with Richard Beene. His other teachers include Benjamin Kamins and Hermann Vogelstein.