Meryl Summers is an expressive, thoughtful young bassoonist who is constantly seeking out new opportunities and experiences. Her commitment and creativity as an orchestral player and a music educator have taken her to countries all over Europe as well as parts of Asia and South America.
Meryl performed two seasons as the second bassoonist of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, as well as participated in numerous festivals including the Tanglewood Music Center, the Youth Orchestra of the Americas and the National Repertory Orchestra. While studying at Yale University, she frequently played with the New Haven Symphony. Meryl was named the alternate at the 2012 Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox International Bassoon Competition. She has performed under the baton of some of the world’s most renowned conductors including James Levine, Bernard Haitink, Kurt Masur, and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.
As a music educator, Meryl aims to provide students with a sense of purpose, a source of pride and ownership, and a set of values that empowers them to become positive role models to their families and surrounding communities. She has achieved this through her work as a member of the Chicago Symphony’s music outreach program called Musicorps and as part of Yale University's Music in Schools program.
Meryl graduated from Northwestern University in 2009 with a Bachelors of Music and a Bachelor of Arts with concentrations in political science and environmental policy and culture. As part of her studies, she spent a year studying in Vienna with bassoonist David Seidel. After graduation, she received a Fulbright Grant to study in Düsseldorf Germany at the Robert Schumann Hochschule with Gustavo Núñez, principal bassoonist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. In 2012, Meryl graduated from the Yale School of Music with a Masters in Music degree studying under Frank Morelli. Other previous teachers include Christopher Millard, Lewis Kirk, and William Buchman.
Starting this Fall, Meryl will begin to pursue a Masters in Science in Occupational Therapy at Tufts Univeristy. As Occupational Therapist, Meryl hopes to use her expterise in music to explore the ways in which music can be used for therapeutic objectives, in order to help people function in everyday life and carry out activities that are most important to them.
An advocate for the environment, Meryl has been involved with several organizations including Greenpeace and Boston Area Gleaners that educate about the importance of eating healthy, sustainable food. Additionally, she spent two summers working at Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska.