Drawing Room Chamber Series with with Kristen Smith, basson; Heather Verbeck, flute and Eileen Whalen, oboe

Drawing Room Chamber Concert November 26, 2024 at 7:30 pm
with Kristen Smith, basson; Heather Verbeck, flute and Eileen Whalen, oboe

The second concert in Hayner’s Drawing Room Chamber series spotlights three outstanding woodwind musicians, Kristen Smith on bassoon; Heather Verbeck on flute and Eileen Whalen on oboe. Kristen Smith is instructor of bassoon at the University of Dayton. She is second bassoon in the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra where she has performed for 29 years. She has performed with the New Orleans Symphony, the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Cincinnati Ballet, the Cincinnati Symphony and the Northern Kentucky Symphony, to name a few. She has also taught bassoon performance at Northern Kentucky University, as well as several area high schools. She is a requested lecturer and clinician and has lectured at Wright State University, East Tennessee State University, and for band programs in the southern Ohio area. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Louisiana State University studying with William Ludwig, and her master’s degree, studying with William Winstead, at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.

Heather Verbeck will join this trio on flute. She has an active career as a performer and teacher. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Arizona State University and The Studio. A recipient of scholarships from Arizona State University, Brevard Music Center, and the College-Conservatory of Music, she was awarded a Frank Huntington Beebe Fund Scholarship to study in England with Trevor Wye at The Studio. She is the Master Class Director for The Garner Malibu Flute Symposium, where she is also an artist teacher. In addition to her recital performances, Ms. Verbeck has performed with several orchestras including the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic and the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra.

Eileen Whalen will be playing oboe for this concert. She has been hailed by the New York Times on multiple occasions for her “beautiful playing” and “considerable virtuosity.” She is currently the principal oboist of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera and Glimmerglass Festival and performs with the Dayton Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet. She has been principal oboist of Honolulu Symphony, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and she has performed with the New Jersey, Colorado, Columbus, Cincinnati and Jacksonville Symphonies among others. She is featured on the albums “E O Mai” and “Kamalei: Collection-Two” by renowned Hawaiian recording artist Keali’i Reichel, as well as on the movie soundtrack for Mr. Holland’s Opus and various Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra recordings.