Susan Gustavson Maxwell has dedicated her career to three dimensions of musicianship; she is a teacher, performer and reed maker. Currently, she teaches Bassoon, Music Theory, and in the School of Leadership Studies at Kansas State University. She also performs with the Konza Winds Woodwind Quintet and the Tallgrass Trio. She is very proud of her students’ accomplishments, which are best viewed at the KSU Bassoon studio website at www.k-state.edu/music/bassoon. One great resource on this website is the “Honk Hotline,” a contact listing of private bassoon teachers in and around the state of Kansas. You can also check out some of her students in the KSU Bassoon Studio from this link on YouTube!
Maxwell is also a founding memebr of, The Tallgrass Trio a unique chamber ensemble. Comprised of the violin, clarinet, and bassoon, it continues to concertize throughout the state of Kansas. Recently, the group took a concert tour to Liberal, Kansas through the Kansas Arts Roster Program. Recent events with the Tallgrass Trio include several formal recitals, one of which is a special arts cross-over where pieces were chosen based on Sandzen paintings in the Beach Art Museum. For concert information please visit www.tallgrasstrio.com.
In addition to her teaching duties, she is in her sixth season with the Northwest Arkansas Symphony in Fayetteville, Arkansas as principal bassoonist (this orchestra is currently on financial hiatus). Amidst her teaching and performing she is also the designer and creator of the “Susie Bassoon Reed” and has made bassoon reeds for another major retailer.
Dr. Maxwell’s teaching includes several areas of special interest. One is in the art of playing high notes on the bassoon. This has resulted in a book created for bassoonists that has been published by Prairie Dawg Press, Manhattan, Kansas. Another area of special interest is leadership development. With her Leadership in Practice class, KSU students have mentored elementary students at Ft. Riley Elementary School. Many of these children have had parents take several tours in Iraq. Some of Dr. Maxwell’s other performance engagements have included substitute positions with The Kansas City Symphony, The Kansas City Lyric Opera, The Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, The Tulsa Philharmonic, The Lake Shore Symphony in Chicago, Illinois, Orquesta Sinfónica de Nuevo León in Monterrey, Mexico and a two-year position with The Wichita Symphony, in Wichita, Kansas.