Paweł Wnuk is enjoying a prolific career as a bassoon performer and teacher, having held professional engagements with leading arts institutions in the United States and abroad. Praised for his “clarity of sound expression,” “innovative programming,” and “extraordinary artistry,” Paweł’s performances regularly include premieres of self-arranged works that have been broadcast on public radio and TV stations.
Having secured his first orchestral position at the age of 22 as principal bassoon of the Camerata Orchestra, Paweł was later the tenured principal bassoon with the Detroit Opera and held the same position with the Columbus Philharmonic and the Carmel Symphony. He was also a frequent guest with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin, Neemi Järvi, Hans Graf, and Thomas Wilkins, among others.
As a chamber musician, Paweł is a founding member of the Northwood Winds—an ensemble dedicated to the performance of rarely heard works. His other recent collaborations include the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Bassoon Quartet, and the Chamber Music at the Scarab Club concert series, where he was involved in several premieres.
Strongly committed to pedagogy, Paweł began his teaching career as an associate instructor of bassoon at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Most recently, he served as professor of practice in bassoon and instrumental music at Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts, where he also directed the chamber music program. While at SMU, Paweł launched a new concert series devoted to small ensembles, spearheaded woodwind curriculum development, and coordinated an interdisciplinary research program. He is a sought-after artist clinician, having worked with advanced wind performers and chamber groups from across the instrumental spectrum. His former students have been recognized for their expressive playing and hold positions as orchestral musicians, entrepreneurs, educators, and arts administrators.
Paweł began his formal music studies at the age of seven in a specialized music school in his native Poland, continuing his training at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Miami University, the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and the University of Maine, while pursuing education across multiple fields. He holds degrees in music, interdisciplinary studies, and organizational leadership, and a certificate in higher education teaching and learning from Harvard University’s Derek Bok Center. Paweł’s doctoral research at Boston University focuses on redesigning music curricula to better align learning objectives with job market demands.
In his spare time, Paweł builds reed-making tools, including his groundbreaking electrical gouging machine that processes bassoon cane with a consistent accuracy within 0.002 inch.