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Alyssa Porambo, 410.783.8044
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Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Announces Fei Xie as Principal Bassoonist

Baltimore, Md. (June 19, 2012) - After an extensive search, Music Director Marin Alsop and the BSO Principal Bassoon Audition Committee have appointed Fei Xie the principal bassoonist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, effective September 2012. A native of China, Mr. Xie joined the Orchestra as second bassoonist in January 2008. He brings a wide array of performance experience, including participation in the BSO's recent tour to the West Coast and several BSO recordings. This marks the appointment of the first Chinese bassoonist to hold the principal position in a major American symphony.

Mr. Xie commented about his new post, "It's been such a thrill to work with this world-class orchestra under the leadership of Maestra Alsop. I am really looking forward to my new role with the orchestra, and many more years of great music making to come."

About Fei Xie
Fei Xie joined the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as second bassoonist in January 2008. A native of China, Mr. Xie comes from a musical family; his parents are renowned Peking Opera musicians. He started studying piano at age three and at 13 began bassoon studies at the middle school attached to the Central Conservatory of Music, where he studied with YunHua Dai and Jun Zhu. Mr. Xie graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in music from Oberlin College, where he studied with George Sakakeeny. While still a student at Oberlin, he performed with the Akron Symphony and the Canton Symphony, and served as principal bassoonist of Mansfield Symphony in the 2003-04 season. Mr. Xie also holds a master's degree in Music from Rice University (2006), where he was a student of Benjamin Kamins, the former principal bassoonist of the Houston Symphony. As a student at Rice, he performed at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.

Mr. Xie joined the Houston Grand Opera while he was in the second year of his master's degree, and has also performed with Houston Symphony as guest principal bassoonist.  He has attended many music festivals, among them the Music Academy of the West, the National Repertory Orchestra, Tanglewood Music Center and Sun Valley Summer Symphony.  Mr. Xie was a finalist in the 2010 Gillet-Fox International Bassoon Competition, and he was the only American bassoonist chosen for the final round.

As an avid chamber music player, Mr. Xie has played in the Music by Candlelight Series and the Sundays at Three Chamber Music Series. He is a founding member of the bassoon quartet, Black Sheep Bassoon Quartet, and has traveled to Beijing and performed at the Central Conservatory of China.

Mr. Xie is already residing in the Baltimore area with his wife and young son, Kevin.
 

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