Christopher Ulffers

Welcome to the ECU School of Music bassoon studio! Are you a bassoon student interested in a career in music? “Request a Lesson” and we’ll have a conversation about your aspirations and the opportunities that come with studying music on the college level. Contact me if you are preparing for an audition (All-County, All-State or college) and I will be happy to coach or provide feedback. The School of Music bassoon studio is a close community of talented students. I invite you to audition to join us!

Christopher Ulffers is director of the School of Music at East Carolina University and has held a faculty appointment as professor of bassoon since 1992.

Ulffers was the recipient of the Robert and Lina Mays Award for Teaching Excellence in 1997 and taught a variety of courses in music history, literature and appreciation prior to his administrative appointments.  He holds degrees in bassoon performance from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and Indiana University. His teachers include Robert Wisneskey, Robert Mottl, Ryohei Nakagawa, Sidney Rosenberg, Leonard Sharrow and Kim Walker.

Ulffers has participated in the Aspen Music Festival, was a bassoonist and staff librarian with the National Repertory Orchestra (Breckenridge, CO) for five summers and was on the artist/faculty of the Eastern Music Festival (Greensboro, NC). He was contrabassoonist with the Virginia Symphony and Virginia Opera from 1993-2003 appearing with the orchestra at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and on several recordings. Ulffers frequently collaborates with members of the ECU faculty and other musicians throughout the region. He has appeared as concerto soloist with the ECU Symphony, ECU Wind Ensemble, ECU Chamber Singers and the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle of Durham, NC, where he serves as principal bassoonist.