Miami University Department of Music Hosts 55th Annual International Double Reed Society Conference
Miami University Department of Music Hosts 55th Annual International Double Reed Society Conference
Miami University’s Oxford campus served as the global hub for double reed performance and pedagogy for the 55th annual International Double Reed Society Conference, the premier global organization for oboists and bassoonists, from July 7 through July 11, 2026. The conference drew over 1,100 registrants from twenty-nine countries. The prestigious event was co-hosted by Miami University Department of Music faculty members Andrea Ridilla, Professor of Oboe and F. Lorée–Paris Performing Artist, and Aaron Pergram, DMA, Associate Professor of Bassoon.
In addition to leading the conference organization, both Ridilla and Pergram were selected through a competitive blind review by the Conference Artistic Committee to perform at the opening gala concert. With College of Creative Arts Dean Ryan Fisher in attendance, Ridilla performed a touching Requiem by her mentor Robert Bloom, while Pergram premiered a work for bassoon, Chinese sheng, and electronics alongside his world music duo, Silkwind Mundi.
With Ridilla and Pergram spearheading the event, the conference highlighted exceptional cross-departmental collaboration across Miami’s Department of Music. Ricardo Averbach, DMA, Professor of Music, served as a featured conductor for the IDRS Orchestra and led two world premieres during the final evening concert. Daniel Farr, DMA, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands, led the iconic IDRS Double Reed Band in a week-long preparation for their excellent final performance. Harvey Thurmer, DMA, Professor of Violin, contracted the performers for the orchestra and led the challenging chamber music initiatives for the evening gala concerts. Michael LaMattina, Director of Percussion Ensemble and Percussion Area Coordinator, performed with the IDRS Baroque Band throughout the week, emulating the sounds of the Renaissance and Baroque Eras on field drums. Collaborative piano specialist Heather MacPhail performed in numerous concerts with world-class performing artists across campus. Assistant Teaching Professor of Music Technology Eric Sheffield, Ph.D., along with Professor of Composition Per Bloland, DMA, managed five days of concerts across multiple venues to bring new electroacoustic sounds to audiences. Finally, piano technician Jonathan Ralinovsky tuned a dozen instruments across six venues to maintain high standards of quality for artists, competitors, scholars, and collaborators.
The 2026 conference introduced a Poster Session Competition, showcasing new research in pedagogy, inclusion, and health for instrumentalists. Each day, performances and master classes featured world-class soloists, emerging artists, world premieres, and several pieces that blended genres such as math rock and Electronic Dance Music with double reeds. A highlight of the conference was the Contraband Double Reed Band of contrabassoons, a unique ensemble that could only take place in a gathering of this scale. Various reading groups, comprising both professional and avocational double reed players, met daily.
Miami University facilities were showcased on an international scale. Hall Auditorium hosted evening concerts accompanied by string quartets and a full string orchestra. Meanwhile, a large-scale exhibit hall at the Shriver Center featured over 60 vendors from five continents, bringing together top global double reed instrument manufacturers, custom tool makers, sheet music vendors, reed makers, technicians, and suppliers. In addition, Wilks Theater, Shideler Hall, Presser Hall, and the Center for Performing Arts were venues for the nearly 200 concerts, master classes, and workshops.
The conference also hosted two prestigious international competitions. The Fernand Gillet–Hugo Fox International Competition for Bassoon selected six finalists from Italy, the United States, and Belgium following a pre-recorded initial round evaluated by an international panel of judges. Italian bassoonist August Polumbo, principal bassoon of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln Radio Symphony Orchestra in Germany and Lecturer of Bassoon at the Conservatorium Maastricht in the Netherlands, received $8,000 for first prize. For oboists, the 2026 Norma Hooks Young Artist Competition featured four international finalists from Canada, New Zealand, and China. The winner was Chinese oboist Guo You, a student at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music under Professor Jin Jingchun, who received $4,000.
By bringing over a thousand artists, scholars, and industry leaders to campus, the 55th annual International Double Reed Society Conference showcased Miami University as a vibrant epicenter for international arts and cultural exchange. The event offered an extraordinary platform to highlight the creative leadership of Miami faculty, the versatility of its campus facilities, and its ongoing commitment to excellence in music. The collaborative efforts of faculty, staff, and leadership ensured that the university left a lasting impression on the global double reed community, cementing Miami’s reputation as a premier destination for musical scholarship and performance.