Bassoon

Principal

Ardith Keef is principal bassoonist of the Maine Chamber Ensemble, a member of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, the bassoonist of the Maine Baroque Ensemble, the bassoonist of the Issac Ensemble of Boston, and associate professor of bassoon at the University of Southern Maine. She holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree from the Eastman School of Music where she studied with K. David van Hoesen. She has several years of postgraduate study with Otto Eifert with whom she now performs.
Formerly principal bassoonist of the Columbus Symphony, Keef has also played with the Rochester Philharmonic, the Monadnock Music Festival and the New Hampshire Music Festival. Previous teaching appointments include New York State University at Genesseo and Capitol University of Columbus, Ohio. Recent years have been busy with solo performances in South America, Europe, Africa, the Far East, Canada, the Soviet Union, as well as many of the United States.
Keef is currently an attorney practicing family law in Maine.

Wren Saunders (Bassoon) Ms. Saunders holds a B.M. from the University of Southern Maine and a M.M. from New England Conservatory. Her primary teachers were Ardith Keef (Portland Symphony) and Richard Svoboda (principal, Boston Symphony). Ms. Saunders performs regularly with the Maine Chamber Ensemble, the Hingham (Massachusetts) Symphony, Boston Philharmonic, Rhode Island Philharmonic, BMOP, and the New Hampshire Music Festival, among others. Ms. Saunders's students are regularly accepted into the Portland Youth Ensembles and regularly hold top chairs in the state's district and All-State festivals.