A native Arizonan and Tucson freelancer, Cassandra Bendickson holds a master’s degree in Bassoon performance from the University of Arizona and served as principal bassoon for Catalina Chamber Orchestra, along with a number of other Tucson orchestras. In addition, she participates widely in small chamber gangs, like LüftBassoons, Tucson Duo Project, Crowded Quartet, Lend An Ear Chamber Players, and the “Garage Classical” series ChamberLab. Cassandra is currently participating in a virtual residency with the Ladies Quintessential Quintet, involving the simultaneous collaboration of musicians from four different states. She has performed internationally in Mexico and Japan, and is an active member of the American Federation of Musicians, the International Society of Double Reeds, the faculty of the Casas Adobes Fine Arts Academy, and teaches a growing studio of bassoonists young and old(er).