Michelle Keem

Principal

Sponsored by Antonette & Robert Zeiss

Sponsored by Mary Kelly & David Yule

Michelle Keem is principal bassoon of Santa Cruz Symphony and North State Symphony, in addition to playing regularly with many orchestras around the Bay Area. She has performed with orchestras and chamber ensembles across North America and Europe, including the Oregon Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Antwerp Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Olmos Ensemble. She is also a founding member of Trio Auloi, whose performances include a recital in Boston’s Jordan Hall, and teaches bassoon at Sacramento State.

A native of New York state, Michelle has Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Rick Ranti and Richard Svoboda, and did additional graduate studies with Marc Goldberg and Patricia Rogers at Bard College Conservatory.

In addition to working as a performer and educator, Michelle is also an avid knitter and a longtime volunteer at a local farm animal sanctuary.

Alex Zdanis

Sponsored by Ronald & Cynthia Sekkel

San Francisco-based bassoonist Alex Zdanis holds positions in the Oakland Symphony, Monterey Symphony, and Santa Cruz Symphony. She frequently performs with many other orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, Los Angeles Opera, California Symphony, Marin Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, and San Jose Symphony. She has performed with many music festivals, including the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Mendocino Music Festival, Music in the Mountains, Buzzards Bay Musicfest, New Hampshire Music Festival, and Festival Mozaic. She held the position of Assistant Principal Bassoon in the Alabama Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2019. A San Diego native, she studied bassoon with Richard Beene at the Colburn Conservatory of Music and Benjamin Kamins at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music.