Elizabeth Roberts

Elizabeth Roberts, Principal Bassoonist and Outreach Coordinator of the Charlottesville & University Symphony Orchestra, joined the music performance faculty in the McIntire Department of Music at the University of Virginia in 2001. She is the bassoonist with the Albemarle Ensemble, UVA’s resident faculty woodwind quintet. She serves as the Principal Bassoonist of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, and she freelances on bassoon and contrabassoon with orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony and the Virginia Symphony. She has performed as a soloist with the Charlottesville and University Symphony Orchestra, the Harid Conservatory Orchestra and the Waynesboro Orchestra. Ms. Roberts is a member of the adjunct faculty in the Adult Degree Program at Mary Baldwin College, and she teaches bassoon, reedmaking, and chamber music in the Charlottesville area.

A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Ms. Roberts holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Illinois. She taught kindergarten for two years in suburban Chicago, then began pursuing her dream of becoming a professional musician. She earned a Professional Studies Diploma and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Harid Conservatory, where she studied with Arthur Weisberg; and a Master of Music Performance degree at the University of Southern California, where she studied with Stephen Maxym. During her second year at USC she was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda and was selected to be a Presidential Fellow. Upon graduating she was awarded the Dean's Special Commendation. Ms. Roberts has studied bassoon with Nancy Goeres, contrabassoon with Lew Lipnik, and she continues her bassoon studies with Frank Morelli.

As a student, Ms. Roberts held fellowships at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival (CT) and at the Aspen Music Festival (CO) where she served as principal bassoonist of the American Academy of Conducting Orchestra at Aspen for three summers. She has participated in the master class program at the Banff Music Centre, where, during the summer of 2008, she was selected to perform chamber music with faculty members Richard Killmer, James Campbell, Frøydis Ree Wekre, and Frank Morelli. Ms. Roberts has performed and taught at the Wintergreen Performing Arts Festival (VA), Beyond the Notes (UVA), Music Mind and Reading (NC), and the Cascade Festival of Music (OR). She currently serves as the Music Advisor for Old Crozet School Arts and was nominated for the 2008 Virginia Governor's Award for the Arts.

Ms. Roberts has given world premiere performances of works by Arthur Weisberg, Bernard Rands, Gary Schocker, and Walter Ross. She also gave the Virginia premiere of the recently discovered concerto for bassoon by Gioacchino Rossini.