Bassoonist Ashley Mania is establishing a diverse career in both modern and early music performance. Combining two drastically different styles of music performance, she is keen on being able to bridge them. 

 

Mania holds postgraduate degrees from Bowling Green State University where she spent time learning more about extended techniques on the modern bassoon as well as focused on early instruments and performed regularly on recorder. At the Eighth International Conference on Music and Minimalism, she played the crumhorn, shawm, and rackett as part of the American premiere of Belgium composer Karel Goeyvaert’s piece Pour que les fruits mûrissent cet été.

 

This focus on early instruments brought her to New York City where she received a second master’s degree with a focus on historical performance at The Juilliard School. The Juilliard School brought her many opportunities such as performing chamber and orchestral works that included playing Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony under the direction of Paul Agnew during Les Arts Florrisants’s annual Festival Dans les Jardins de William Christie. As a student, Mania also participated in the JSB Ensemble (Junges Stuttgarter Bach Ensemble) at the Internationales Bachfest Stuttgart under the direction of Hans-Christoph Rademann. On Johann Sebastien Bach’s 341st birthday, she had the opportunity to perform for a televised production of three of Bach’s masses in Arnstadt at Bach’s church as part of Bachfest Stuttgart. While receiving her second master degree, Mania studied secondary instruments: recorder under Nina Stern and traverso with Sandra Miller. 

 

A life-long learner of everything bassoon and double reeds, Mania has enjoyed broadening her knowledge by attending conferences like the annual conference of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS). In the 2024 IDRS conference, Mania performed in a bassoon ensemble that premiered works by Kincaid Rabb and Kevin Day. Another highlight is the 2026 IDRS conference where Mania had performed with friends and colleagues Jennifer Bouck and Timothy Hommowun in a modern wind trio. She also held a recital of historical bassoons (bass dulcian, baroque bassoon, and classical bassoon) titled “Two Bassoons on a Miniature Aventure.” Mania has also enjoyed being a performer and broadening her knowledge of new music for the bassoon by attending the Newbassoon Institute. Along with that, Mania is an advocate for new works involving the bassoon and has been part of multiple commissions and consortiums. 

 

Her primary teachers of modern bassoon are Susan Nelson and Nora Schankin, and her primary historical bassoon teacher is Dominic Teresi. 

 

When not involved in music, Mania enjoys arts and crafts along with spending time with her crabby brown tabby Sage.