New Bassoon work by Nicky Sohn!

I'm so excited to share this announcement of a new work for bassoon and piano by the phenomenal composer Nicky Sohn! Julianne Mulvey, associate principal bassoon of the Minnesota Orchestra, and I will be leading the charge on the commissioning of this work.

Learn more about Nicky by reading her bio below, listen to a sample of her work, and hear her thoughts on the opportunity to write for bassoon and piano! This work is anticipated to be premiered late 2026. Check out more about Julianne below as well!

---

Nicky Sohn on writing for Bassoon and Piano

"I'm incredibly excited to be working on a new sonata for bassoon and piano, a 10–14 minute multi-movement work that explores the full expressive range of the bassoon. I’ve always felt that the bassoon is one of the more overlooked instruments in the wind family—despite its remarkable potential. It can be fiercely athletic and virtuosic, yet also deeply lyrical and singing. Through close collaboration with several wonderful bassoonists, I’ll be diving into the unique capabilities of the instrument, creating movements that each carry a distinct character—varying in tempo, energy, and texture. This project is both a celebration of the bassoon’s versatility and an opportunity for me to push creative boundaries in a way that feels uniquely my own."

Nick Sohn sample writing highlighting the Bassoon

Nicky Sohn Bio

Selected as one of the "Cool 100" by Houston CityBook Magazine, alongside icons like Simone Biles and Megan Thee Stallion, composer Nicky Sohn is a versatile and sought-after voice in contemporary classical music. With a distinctive style characterized by jazz-inspired, rhythmically driven themes, her work has been praised internationally as “undoubtedly the crowd-pleaser of the evening” (YourObserver), “dynamic and full of vitality” (The Korea Defense Daily), showcasing “colorful orchestration” (NewsBrite), and evoking “elegant wonder” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung).

Recent highlights include the premiere of Sohn’s guitar concerto with the Albany Symphony, featuring world-renowned guitarist Bokyung Byun. The performances received rave reviews and sold out, with a chamber orchestra version set to be featured in the 2025 Tanglewood Music Festival season. Sohn also collaborated with the Balourdet Quartet on Galaxy Back to You, a piece commissioned after their Avery Fisher Career Grant win, which will be included on their debut CD.

Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, Sohn is composing a large-scale ballet for BalletCollective, set to premiere at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC in collaboration with celebrated choreographer Alysa Pires and acclaimed visual artist Linn Myers. Additionally, she is writing three orchestral works for Atlanta Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, and Orchestra Lumos, and concerti and chamber works for the University of Iowa, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Emissary Quartet, Loop38, and the Juilliard School Preparatory Division.

Julianne Mulvey, Minnesota Orchestra Associate Principal Bassoon

Raised in Reading, Massachusetts, Julianne began her musical education on the flute, taught by her mom, but in the sixth grade made the wise decision to switch to the bassoon. In 2023, Julianne joined the Minnesota Orchestra as Associate Principal Bassoon. She has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and the Houston Ballet Orchestra. Julianne completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Her primary teachers are Benjamin Kamins, Richard Svoboda, and Neil Fairbairn. Since her days playing the flute, Julianne has been involved in outreach performances at assisted living facilities, museums and schools. Most recently, Julianne organized and performed in a benefit recital in Minneapolis for Wildflyer Coffee, a non-profit dedicated to supporting youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability. When not making music, Julianne can be found reading, running around the many lakes of Minneapolis, trying to grow tomatoes on her apartment balcony, and in the winter, only reading because it’s too cold for both Julianne and the tomatoes.

~More info to come in the near future!