Matthew Rasmussen is a performer, composer, educator, and activist. He has performed professionally with the Sacramento Philharmonic, Bakersfield Symphony, American Youth Symphony, and Solano Symphony, where he was featured as a soloist in Weber’s Bassoon Concerto. Currently, he serves as principal bassoonist of the Santa Monica Symphony and is a fellow with the Civic Orchestra of Los Angeles. He recently completed his tenure as principal bassoon fellow of the California Young Artists Symphony, culminating in a performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

Matthew is also the bassoonist for Fivemind Reeds, a professional Los Angeles-based reed quintet committed to presenting accessible and equitable classical music performances. A passionate advocate for music education, new music, and social justice in the arts, he has commissioned new works for solo bassoon and for Fivemind by professional composers, and actively includes pieces by women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ composers in his repertoire.

He maintains a private teaching studio in West Los Angeles, serves as bassoon coach at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, and is on faculty at Moorpark College. He is committed to expanding the bassoon’s repertoire and inspiring students to love and appreciate the instrument.

Matthew holds bachelor’s degrees in music and linguistics from UC Davis, where he studied bassoon with David Granger and composition with Laurie San Martin. He earned his Master of Music in bassoon performance from UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, studying with John Steinmetz. As a winner of the school’s concerto competition, he performed Villa-Lobos’ Ciranda das sete notas with the UCLA Philharmonia.