Jaquain Sloan

No stranger to low notes, bassoonist/contrabassoonist Jaquain Sloan enjoys making the ground rumble when in performance. He has performed with a number of orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, 2018 Video Game Award Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Southeast Symphony, Debut Symphony, and the American Youth Symphony. He can be heard playing with orchestras on Naxos under the batons of Marin Alsop and Carl St. Clair.

Sloan began his musical studies at age twelve as a percussionist when he started band in middle school. He found the bassoon at age 15 and was self-taught until transferring to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he received his high school diploma studying under the supervision of Saxton Rose. Now, his ease over the bassoon has earned him awards and recognition in competitions from organizations such as the Lenoir Community Music Club, Appalachian State University, Plowman Chamber Music Competition, and most recently with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as an African American Orchestra Fellow.

A native of North Carolina, Sloan holds a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Music and Performers Certificate from the University of Southern California. Sloan’s primary teachers were Shawn Mouser, and Phillip Kolker and he has also worked with teachers such as Frank Morelli, Mor Biron, William Buchman, Sue Barber, William Ludwig, and Jon Beebe.