Benjamin Atherholt

Bassoon, Contrabassoon

Benjamin Atherholt is the Lecturer of Bassoon at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. He also performs each summer with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra where he has held tenure since 2015. From 2005-2023 Mr. Atherholt served as the Assistant Principal Bassoonist & Contrabassoonist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. While in New Orleans, Mr. Atherholt was the Bassoon Instructor at Tulane University, Loyola University, and the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra. Mr. Atherholt has had the opportunity to work with symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists around the country. Most notably, the Detroit Symphony, Harlem Quartet, Nashville Symphony, National Symphony, Orion Weiss, Paul Groves, St. Louis Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Houston Symphony, where he is featured on the 2013 Grammy Award winning recording of Berg’s Wozzeck.
Mr. Atherholt began his studies at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. He continued to study performance and composition at Oberlin Conservatory under the tutelage of George Sakakeeny and Jeffrey Mumford respectively.

BM, Music Performance and Composition – Oberlin College (2004)