Ben Roidl-Ward

Named one of 23 artists “changing the sound of classical music” by the Washington Post, Ben Roidl-Ward has been praised for his “dazzling technique” (The Sydney Morning Herald), “breathless virtuosity” (Bandcamp Daily), and “astounding flexibility and range” (The Double Reed). He is the Assistant Professor of Bassoon at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Principal Bassoonist of the Chicago Sinfonietta, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. A devoted performer of contemporary music, Ben is the bassoonist of Ensemble Dal Niente and served as a Contemporary Leader for the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, where he continues to teach as a coach for the Lucerne Festival Academy. His dedication to advocating for composers of his generation has led him to participate in the premieres of over 175 compositions to date.

Ben is an alum of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He received his DMA from Northwestern University, where he studied with David McGill and researched methods of notating the bassoon’s multiphonics. His previous teachers were Ben Kamins (Rice University), George Sakakeeny (Oberlin Conservatory), and Francine Peterson in the Seattle area.