Knoxville Symphony’s new principal flute and principal bassoon: Devan Jaquez and Justin Cummings

“Symphony orchestra rosters are generally very stable, but it is inevitable that both professional ambitions and personal needs produce some turnover of player personnel,” writes Alan Sherrod in Thursday’s (11/18) Arts Knoxville (TN). “Amazingly, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra survived the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown and an uncomfortable labor dispute mostly intact. Only four core positions had to be filled for the 2021-22 season, but two were principal chairs in the woodwind section and two were core cellists [Adam Ayers and Sarah Miller] replacing personnel taking a leave of absence. Devan Jaquez, KSO principal flute, received … a Bachelor’s Degree of Art in Music Performance … from UCLA and a Master of Music Degree … from the Colburn Conservatory…. Jaquez was a finalist in the 2020 Young Concert Artists International Competition and a 2020 instrumental fellow of the Music Academy of the West. Justin Cummings, KSO principal bassoon, … was previously a bassoon fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL, as well as performing with a number of orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, and Phoenix Symphony. He received his Bachelor’s of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory and a Master’s of Music from the Colburn School.”