About

Dr. Brisa de Paula currently serves as Assistant Professor of Bassoon at Western Illinois University, where she teaches courses in applied bassoon, woodwind techniques (double reeds), and general music education while being the bassoonist of the faculty ensemble, The Camerata Woodwind Quintet. In the 2017-2018 academic year, Dr. de Paula served as Adjunct Instructor of Bassoon at the University of Cincinnati/College-Conservatory of Music, teaching alongside the legendary pedagogue, William Winstead.

An experienced and multifaceted musician, Dr. de Paula performed extensively in Europe, where she was sought after for consistency, artistry, and dedication, performing regularly with orchestras such as Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken/Kaiserslautern, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, Bremer Philharmoniker, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, L'Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, Münchner Bach Orchester, among others. She decided to take time away from Europe in 2011 to assist the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, the most prestigious orchestra in South America, where she was the acting solo contrabassoonist and second bassoonist. As an avid chamber musician, in 2012 she had the distinction to be invited to participate as a member of the Zermatt Festival-Chamber Music and Academy with the Scharoun Ensemble of the Berliner Philharmoniker in Zermatt, Switzerland. During her residency in Zermatt, she performed more than a dozen concerts alongside members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to her substantial background in orchestral performance and chamber music, she performs regularly as a recitalist in the United States with pianist and physician Warren T. Goodman. Their live and unedited performances are available on YouTube.

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Dr. de Paula earned a Masters Degree, as well as the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Bassoon Performance with an emphasis in musicology from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati, where she was the Bassoon Teaching Assistant. She also holds an Artist Diploma in Bassoon Performance from the Hochschule für Musik Saarin Saarbrücken, Germany. Her principal teachers include William Winstead, Gernot Friedrich, John Miller, and Marc Engelhardt. Her musical training also includes masterclasses with Klaus Thunemann, Georg Klütsch, Helman Jung, and Christopher Millard.

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Contact Dr. de Paula at b-depaula@wiu