Carl Rath teaches bassoon and courses in popular music, arranges for and directs the Viking Bassoon Ensemble (ViBE), and coaches woodwind chamber music ensembles at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. Rath returned to Lawrence following a 31-year tenure at the University of Oklahoma School of Music, where he was awarded two Outstanding Faculty Awards and is Emeritus Professor of Music. He was bassoonist in the Oklahoma Woodwind Quintet in residence at the University of Oklahoma with celebrated performances in New York City’s Carnegie Recital Hall, Austria, England, and the U.S, including several performances at state, regional, and national conferences. From 1991-2012, he was Principal Bassoon in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra and bassoonist with the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble. During this time, he established an international reputation as a bassoon performer and teacher. He has performed at 20 International Double Reed Society annual conferences and also hosted two conferences. His performances have been heard on national and international radio programs and are featured on five Compact Discs. He has presented master classes in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and Buenos Aires, and at numerous Double Reed Day festivals. In addition to bassoon, he has taught music theory, popular music history, woodwind methods, chamber music, student teacher supervision, band, percussion, and woodwind chamber music lit. He teaches and performs at the Red Lodge (MT) Music Festival and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.
