Leslie Massenburg is one of the most sought-after bassoonists and contrabassoonists in the DFW area. She has frequently played and toured with the Dallas and Ft. Worth Symphonies and most recently played much of the season with the Dallas Opera Orchestra. She is principal bassoon of the Dallas Chamber Symphony, Plano Symphony, and Irving Symphonies, and bassoon/contrabassoon with the Richardson Symphony, Dallas Winds and East Texas Symphony. She can be heard on several recording projects, including several of the Dallas Winds’ Grammy-nominated albums, live DSO and FWSO recordings, Banner Saga soundtrack, and a recording of Appalachian Spring by the DCS.

I was a singer and pianist growing up in addition to playing the bassoon. I always wanted to teach, so a minor in Piano Pedagogy made sense in addition to Bassoon Performance degrees. I feel like my range of private lesson experience as a student helped me to curate a well-rounded approach to teaching, appealing to the serious student who wants to go further, alongside the student who is just in it for the fun of music. It is my goal that my students would no longer need me as they have accumulated enough tools and knowledge to be able to practice efficiently and effectively, and that they are able to understand how to truly entertain an audience or judging panel in a performance.

I teach 11 year old beginners as well as top Texas All-Staters and have taught well over 100 bassoon students in my career. I have seen such variety in students and enjoy finding out what motivates each individual. Building on my own personal history, I was not always the "model" student, until my lightbulb and passion was ignited and I became a very motivated student! I feel like I know both of the extremes so well, that I can relate to a student on any range of that spectrum of interest. I love organization and helping students to organize their practice time to make it impactful, as well as coming up with creative practice techniques to keep the interest level up while improving.