Peter Kolkay — Bassoon

Peter Kolkay has been praised as “superb” (Washington Post) and “stunningly virtuosic” (New York Times). He is the only bassoonist to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant and is a Season Artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. His recent engagements include chamber music performances at Music@Menlo, the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, and appearances on the Emerald City, Camerata Pacifica, and String Theory series.

A committed advocate for new music, Kolkay has premiered solo works by Joan Tower, Mark-Anthony Turnage, and Tania León, among many others. His 2023–24 season features the release of a new album of music for bassoon and strings with the Calidore Quartet, appearances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and residencies at the Sarasota and Alpenglow Chamber Music Festivals.

Kolkay was a longtime member of the IRIS Orchestra in Tennessee and has served as guest principal bassoon of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. A dedicated educator, he is Associate Professor of Bassoon at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University and has given master classes across the United States and Mexico.

Born in Naperville, Illinois, Kolkay studied at Lawrence University, the Eastman School of Music, and Yale University. His teachers include Frank Morelli, John Hunt, Jean Barr, and Monte Perkins. He now resides in Nashville’s Melrose neighborhood.