Wharton Arts
Located in Northern New Jersey
New Jersey Youth Symphony
The New Jersey Youth Symphony’s Double Reed Camp offers a dynamic summer program catering to bassoonists and oboists in the state of New Jersey and the broader Mid-Atlantic region. This immersive experience provides aspiring young musicians with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of their instrument, engage in the rich world of bassoon and oboe chamber music, connect with seasoned professional players, delve into reed crafting, explore auxiliary instruments such as the English horn and contrabassoon, participate in high-caliber ensemble performances, and, above all, foster a vibrant community of passionate young double reed players.
Praised for his “soaring expression” and “impressive technical command” (IDRS Journal 46, No 2), bassoonist Joseph Swift enjoys a varied career as a performer, educator, and recording artist. Joseph currently serves as principal bassoon of the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, and has performed with many orchestras across the United States and Canada, in addition to chamber performances throughout the East Coast, Midwest, and London, England. He has performed with the South Bend Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, York Symphony Orchestra, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and Napa Festival Orchestra among others. He also earned a Silver Medal in the Senior Wind Division with the Vanguard Reed Quintet at the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Joseph is currently the bassoon faculty at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts, where he has grown a robust private studio and reputation in the state of New Jersey. Joseph earned his bachelor degree from Western Michigan University, two master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, and his DMA at Stony Brook University. His primary teachers include Robert Williams, Gwendolyn Rose, Jeffrey Lyman, and Frank Morelli. His debut solo album Room to Breathe was released in March 2023 receiving high acclaim across distinguished musical journals. His collaboration with pianist Calvin Hu shines across 5 world premieres for bassoon and piano ignited by the lived experiences of 5 composers of various personal and professional backgrounds. Joseph is an endorsed artist with Key Leaves and bassoon specialist at Silverstein Works. Outside of music Joseph enjoys traveling, golfing, speed-solving Rubik’s cubes, fitness, and spending time with his wife Cat and their dog Dunkin. A Michigan native, he is currently located in Somerset, New Jersey.
Oboist Kenny Bader enjoys a varied career as a performer and teacher. Recently Mr. Bader was appointed to the position of Principal Oboe with the York Symphony. During the 2022-23 orchestral season, he also held the position of Second Oboe and Utility English Horn with the Bozeman Symphony. Additionally, he has performed in numerous orchestras across the east coast including the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Philharmonic, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and the Rock Hill Symphony.
As a teacher, Mr. Bader has coached students to varied successes. His current and former students have gone on to win scholarships to multiple universities, positions in district and All-State bands, regional youth orchestras, and superior ratings in solo and ensemble competition performances. During the summer of 2023, he had the pleasure of serving as the oboe studio teaching assistant at Brevard Music Center where he worked alongside Dr. Eric Ohlsson and Mrs. Emily Brebach to coach students in reed-making classes, chamber music, and large ensemble playing.
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of Georgia and a Master’s degree from Temple University. His primary teachers include: Jonathan Blumenfeld, Dr. Reid Messich, Emily Brebach, and Dr. Eric Ohlsson.