Amber Ferenz facts for kids

Amber Ferenz, born in 1972, is an American musician, music teacher, and composer. She is known for playing the bassoon and violin, and for creating her own music.

Amber Ferenz's Musical Journey

Learning and Growing as a Musician

Amber Ferenz loved music from a young age. She studied the bassoon, which is a large woodwind instrument. She earned a bachelor's degree in bassoon performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts. Later, she received a Master of Fine Arts degree in orchestral performance from the California Institute of the Arts. During her studies, she learned from famous bassoon teachers like Mark Popkin, Julie Feves, and Steven Dibner.

Playing and Teaching Music

After finishing her education, Amber Ferenz became a professional bassoonist. She was the main bassoon player, called the principal bassoonist, for the Fayetteville Symphony. She also played the second bassoon with the Asheville Symphony.

Besides performing, Ferenz has shared her musical knowledge with students. She taught bassoon at several universities. These include California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, California Institute of the Arts, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Wake Forest University.

Other Musical Adventures

Amber Ferenz is also a talented violinist. She was a special participant, called a fellow, at the Aspen Music Festival. She helped start a group called inauthentica, which is a chamber music collective based in Los Angeles. Chamber music is played by a small group of musicians. She has also performed with another group called the Open Dream Ensemble.

What Music Does Amber Ferenz Create?

Amber Ferenz writes music mainly for solo bassoon or for small groups of instruments, known as chamber ensembles. Her compositions often feature the bassoon.

Here are some of her musical works:

• Love Medicine
• Unfinished Conversations
• Ice Cream Truck, for a group of four bassoons
• Songs for Wicked children
• Los Angeles Sketches, also for four bassoons
• Ice Cream Truck 2: "Son of Ice Cream Truck", for a bassoon quartet