Benjamin Kamins, Bassoon

Since entering the world of professional music in 1972, Benjamin Kamins has enjoyed a wide-ranging career as an orchestral musician, chamber player, solo performer, and educator. Before his appointment as Principal Bassoon with the Houston Symphony, he served nine years as Associate Principal Bassoon with the Minnesota Orchestra.

In addition to his years in the Minnesota and Houston Symphonies, Mr. Kamins served as a guest principal with other major orchestras in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, and New York. His tenure in the orchestra world has resulted in many solo performances and recordings, including a recording of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto with conductor Christoph Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony.

In Houston, he extended his artistic life in music to academic institutions and the communities they serve. As the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Bassoon at Rice University’s Shepherd School, Mr. Kamins continues to be an advocate for young musicians and classical music performance. His former students now populate a wide range of symphony orchestras and academic positions in North America.