Nik Hooks, Bassoon
Nik Hooks has enjoyed a varied career as a chamber, orchestra, and solo performer, having played in renowned venues such as Los Angeles’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, and Boston’s Symphony Hall. In 2019, he earned the principal bassoon position with the Billings Symphony Orchestra and was the grand-prize winner of the Sherman Walt Merit Award Competition. He is an artist-member of Music for Food, a musician-led initiative to fight hunger in local communities.
Nik has had opportunities to train with esteemed pedagogues at major orchestras, including Judith Leclair of the New York Philharmonic and Sue Heineman of the National Symphony Orchestra. He holds a performer’s certificate from the Colburn School and a bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory. His primary teachers include Richard Beene, Richard Svoboda, and Richard Ranti, with additional training from Tom Novak, Ashley Heintzen, and Randy Doo. As part of his fellowship with Ensemble Connect, Nik teaches at PS 21 Edward Hart, Queens.