Ellen M. Barnum, B.A.

Bassoonist Ellen Barnum is an educator, chamber musician, and freelance performer whose career spans the concert stage, classroom, and rehearsal room.

Ellen joined the Music Department faculty at Buffalo State University in 2003, where she teaches bassoon and music theory, coaches chamber music, and serves as Instrumental Program Coordinator. She has also taught Aural Perceptions, Music History, and Introduction to Music Studies and Careers, and served as personnel manager for the BSC Philharmonia. Ellen teaches bassoon and music literature at Canisius University and maintains an active private studio. Her commitment to helping young musicians succeed extends beyond the classroom; she is a co-author of two chapters in The First-Year Music Major: Strategies for Success, a resource written by Buffalo State Music Department faculty to help students navigate the academic, musical, and personal challenges of their first year of collegiate music study.

Ellen maintains an active freelance career throughout Western New York, performing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo Chamber Players, and Erie County Chamber Winds, as well as at Shea’s Performing Arts Center.Chamber music has remained a central part of her career. She is a founding member of Vento Chiaro, a Boston-based woodwind quintet with which she performed and toured for 14 years. She and the ensemble also served on the faculty of Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute for 10 years, where Ellen taught chamber music.

Ellen earned her Bachelor of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma in Bassoon Performance from the Peabody Conservatory and an Artist Diploma in Chamber Music Performance from the Longy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. With Vento Chiaro, she received the Saunderson Award at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition and the Silver Medal at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.

A passionate advocate for women in music, Ellen received the Dr. I. Joan Lorch Award from the Canisius University Women and Gender Studies Program in 2012 for her work championing women in the musical profession.

Whether performing, teaching, or coaching young musicians, Ellen brings enthusiasm, curiosity, and a deep belief in the power of music to connect people and inspire the next generation.