DANIEL CHRISMAN - BASSOON
Growing up amidst a family of musicians, Daniel developed an appreciation for a variety of musical genres as well as for natural, cultural, and social phenomena which continue to inspire his playing. He studied piano, trumpet, and voice until he attended the University of Kentucky where he began studies on the instrument he always wanted to play, the bassoon. After four years of demanding yet supportive instruction from Professor Peter Simpson, Chrisman graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2003. He continued his studies at the University of Louisville for one year with Matthew Karr before relocating to Philadelphia to study with the principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Daniel Matsukawa. Mr. Chrisman received his Master’s degree in music performance from Temple University in 2006. Daniel has soloed with the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, playing the Concerto in F Major by Carl Maria von Weber. He has also soloed with the Temple University Symphony Orchestra, performing von Weber’s Andante and Hungarian Rondo.
In September of 2005, Daniel attained the contrabassoon position in the Haddonfield Symphony (now Symphony in C) in New Jersey. In September of 2008, Daniel moved to Austin where he plays contrabassoon and bassoon in the Austin Symphony Orchestra. He began teaching middle and high school bassoon lessons that very month and teaching soon became a co-passion along with performing. 2015 was his first year of employ at Southwestern University where he serves as Professor of Bassoon.
NICHOLAS COUNCILOR - CLARINET & BASS CLARINET
Dr. Nicholas Councilor is Lecturer of Clarinet at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He previously held teaching positions at Texas A&M University—Kingsville and The University of Texas at Austin. He also maintains a large private studio in Austin, where his students frequently make the TMEA All-State ensembles and earn top accolades in solo competitions. As a clinician for the D’Addario Woodwind Method Program, Dr. Councilor has taught nearly 100 clinics to students of all ages throughout Central Texas.
Dr. Councilor is a versatile freelance musician with an active schedule of solo, orchestral, and chamber music performances. He has performed as a featured soloist with the Austin Symphonic Band, the Waterloo Wind Band, and performed John Corigliano’s Concerto with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble in a premiere performance of a new wind band transcription by Craig B. Davis. Nicholas is a member of the Central Texas Philharmonic and regularly performs with the San Antonio Symphony, the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and other regional orchestras across the state. He has also appeared as guest principal clarinetist with the San Antonio Symphony and the Dallas Winds. He can be heard as principal clarinetist in the UT Wind Ensemble recording Wine Dark Sea. As an avid chamber musician, Dr. Councilor has earned the silver medal at the prestigious Fischoff Competition and is a prizewinner of the Coleman and Plowman chamber music competitions, as well as the American Prize. He is also a skilled woodwind doubler and has performed for dozens of musical theater productions.
Dr. Councilor earned his Doctoral of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Eastern Michigan University.
RYAN STOCKHAUSEN - CLARINET
Ryan Stockhausen was appointed to the position of Clarinet III & Bass Clarinet with the Austin Symphony Orchestra in 2022. Ryan has been teaching private lessons and masterclasses in Eanes ISD since 2018 and has experience in Austin, Leander, and Chicago schools. His students have participated in TMEA All-State Band, All-Region Band and Orchestra, and the Central Texas Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
Prior to joining the Austin Symphony, Ryan performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Central Texas Philharmonic as a substitute musician and had fellowships at summer festivals around the country. Ryan is also a member of the new music collective Density512, which performs around Austin at venues like SXSW and KMFA Studios. His recordings with various ensembles can be heard on Cedille Records, DensitySound (Density512), and KMFA 89.5.
Ryan earned his MM from the University of Texas in 2020, where he frequently played principal clarinet with the Wind Ensemble under Jerry Junkin and took additional courses in Human Learning and Applied Music Teaching. He earned his BM from the Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2018 and received an Undergraduate Scholar Award from the Presser Foundation.
Ryan’s primary teachers include John Bruce Yeh (Chicago Symphony), Jonathan Gunn (UT, formerly Cincinnati Symphony), and Douglas Cornelsen (Detroit Symphony). He is a native of Michigan and lives in South Austin with his wife, Tess.
DAN BECHDOLT - SAXOPHONE
Dan Bechdolt is an accomplished musician, composer/arranger and educator who has lived in Austin, TX for the past 24 years. Mr. Bechdolt grew up in Southern California but relocated to Denton, TX to study at the world-renowned University of North Texas School of Music where he received his Bachelor’s of Music in Jazz Studies – Performance in 2000. While at UNT, Bechdolt was a member of the 3 O’Clock Lab Band and studied under Woody Witt, Will Campbell, Jay Miglia, Dan Haerle, Mike Steinel, Keith Javors, and Alan Baylock.
While in Denton, Bechdolt co-founded the soul-funk band Mingo Fishtrap. Over the past 30 years, the band has performed in more than 40 U.S. states and Europe alongside greats such as Sting, Snarky Puppy, Delbert McClinton, Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Blues Traveler, Earth Wind & Fire, Trombone Shorty, & Parliament Funkadelic, among many others. Currently, Mr. Bechdolt is recording and performing with the Grammy Award-winning Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, Spoon, Jimmie Vaughan, Fastball, the NOW Jazz Orchestra & Red Young, among many others. Mr. Bechdolt is also an in-demand studio musician who has recorded for countless projects, including for film soundtracks and television.
For the past 20 years, Mr. Bechdolt has taught saxophone, with an emphasis on saxophone pedagogy in the classical & jazz traditions in Round Rock ISD and the surrounding Austin area. In addition, he serves as the Director of the Westwood & McNeil H.S. Jazz Orchestras, and has increasingly been sought after as a clinician and masterclass instructor.
JIM DEBTH - TRUMPET
Mr. Debth received his Master of Musical Arts degree in trumpet from Yale University and his Bachelor of Music Education and Applied Trumpet from the University of Louisville. His performance career includes Principal Trumpet in the Cedar Rapids Symphony, second trumpet in the Louisville Orchestra as well as playing with the New Haven, Bridgeport and Waterbury Symphonies in Connecticut. He founded the Cedar Rapids Chamber Brass that toured the Midwest and has also given numerous solo recitals.His teaching includes the University of Iowa (Interim Professor), Coe College and Cornell College. While in Iowa he had a private teaching studio and had over 100 All-State trumpet students. Mr. Debth began trumpet instruction in Austin in 2010 and he now teaches at Westlake, Bowie, LASA and Dripping Springs High Schools, as well as Gorzycki Middle School, where his students have been 1st chair in the wind ensembles. His students have been selected to be in the Texas All-State band and Orchestra and they have also received numerous division 1 ratings in the State Solo and Ensemble contest.
DR DAVID SAAD - PERCUSSION
David Saad, a native of Austin, TX, is an active performer and educator, giving master-classes, private lessons, and performances throughout Texas and the United States. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with such groups as So Percussion, Line Upon Line Percussion, and the Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company.
Dr. Saad holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music from Northwestern University and earned his Master’s and Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. His former teachers include Dr. Thomas Burritt, Tony Edwards, Michael Burritt, She-e Wu, Robert Dillon, and James Ross.
In 2015, Dr. Saad joined La Follia Austin Baroque and the Austin Baroque Orchestra, ensembles dedicated to performing works from the Baroque era on period instruments. As a member of these ensembles, he has performed all over Texas and Louisiana and accompanied performers such as Brian Shaw, Keith Womer, Go Yamamoto, and Anton Nel.
In Austin, TX, Dr. Saad manages a thriving studio of more than thirty percussionists, with students consistently earning placement in Region and All-State performing ensembles. Former students have studied or are currently pursuing degrees in percussion at Northwestern University, Texas Tech University, the Juilliard School, The University of North Texas, The University of Texas at Austin, and the Eastman School of Music.
Dr. Saad has performed all over the United States as well as in Japan, Taiwan, China, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, he has performed at the North-Central CBDNA Conference, Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention on multiple occasions. He is also a sponsored artist with Innovative Percussion.