Woodwind Area Faculty
Hailed as a ‘master pedagogue and researcher’ (The Double Reed), Doug Spaniol (he/him), is Professor of Music at Butler University where he teaches bassoon and related classes. At Butler, he has held a variety of other positions including Interim Associate Dean of the Jordan College of Fine Arts, Interim Chair of the School of Music, Assistant Chair of the School of Music, and Vice-Chair of the Faculty Senate. He also serves as Instructor of Bassoon at Interlochen Arts Camp each summer. He has twice been a visiting professor at The Ohio State University and previously served on the faculty at Valdosta State University.
In 1992, Dr. Spaniol was named a Marshall Scholar enabling him to attend the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, where he earned the Postgraduate Diploma in Performance. He has also earned a DMA degree from The Ohio State University as well as MM and BM degrees from the University of Illinois. His bassoon teachers include Christopher Weait, William Waterhouse, and E. Sanford Berry.
In 2011, Dr. Spaniol was named a Fulbright Scholar, leading him to teach at the University of York (UK) and further his research into Julius Weissenborn’s pedagogical bassoon works. His instructional book, The New Weissenborn Method for Bassoon (Hal Leonard), has been called "an invaluable addition to bassoon literature…a landmark in pedagogy" (Double Reed News). Volume II of The New Weissenborn Method (Hal Leonard) was described as a "testament to Spaniol’s insight and loving attention to detail in all things Weissenborn." (The Double Reed). His edition of Weissenborn’s Advanced Studies, op. 8, no 2 (Accolade Musikverlag) was noted as “a must buy for every bassoonist” (The Double Reed), largely because it makes available for the first time all 60 of these studies, including reconstructions of 10 previously lost etudes. Other recent scholarly work includes a new edition of Weissenborn’s complete works for bassoon and piano, which features three recently discovered works (Accolade Musikverlag). Current projects include a biography of legendary bassoonist/scholar/pedagogue William Waterhouse.
His bassoon students have enjoyed remarkable success, placing in the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition, the International Double Reed Society’s Young Artists Competition, and the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition. Other competition successes have lead to concerto performances with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (two students), the Butler Symphony Orchestra (seven students), and Interlochen’s World Youth Symphony Orchestra (three students). His students have also performed on National Public Radio’s From the Top and won positions and/or performed with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra (Washington DC), Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, and other professional ensembles.
Dr. Spaniol has presented masterclasses and workshops at the Royal Academy of Music (London), Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Cardiff), the St. Petersburg (Russia) Conservatory, Indiana University, and many others. He frequently appears as a performer/presenter at conferences hosted by the International Double Reed Society (IDRS), College Music Society, Music for All, and other music education organizations. He also served for six years as the Bassoon Chair for the IDRS’s Fernand Gillet – Hugo Fox Competition.
As a performer, Dr.Spaniol has appeared as concerto soloist with Sinfonia da Camera, the St. Petersburg Classical Symphony Orchestra, Solisti St. Petersburg, the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis, and bands and orchestras at Butler and Interlochen. He can be heard on recordings on Albany, Capstone, Centaur, Innova, and Zephyr Records. As principal bassoonist of Sinfonia da Camera, Dr. Spaniol has toured England, been heard on NPR’s Performance Today, and appears on the Classical Music for Dummies CD. He has also performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra, and performed and/or recorded with popular artists such as The Rolling Stones, Art Garfunkel, Sandi Patty, and Michael Feinstein. He is now a proud original member of Rock E Bassoon, a rock band comprised of six electric bassoonists and a drummer. A Yamaha Performing Artist, Dr. Spaniol plays a Yamaha YFG-811 bassoon.
Click ‘Résumé’ below to learn more about the Bassoon Studio at Butler. Click ‘Curriculum Vitae’ to see my CV.
Professor Pamela Ajango is the Instructor of Oboe at Butler University, joining the faculty in 2013. She teaches oboe, chamber music, and instrumental techniques, and has served as interim area coordinator for Woodwinds. Professor Ajango has been a full-time freelance oboist for over 20 years. She is a member of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra (2nd oboe/English horn), winning her tenured position in 2007. She also frequently serves as acting principal oboe of the ICO, and can be heard in that role on the ICO’s first recording release, Momentum 21. Professor Ajango is a studio musician, recording for music publishers Alfred, FJH, Hal Leonard, and many others. She can often be heard in the pit orchestras of visiting Broadway musicals, in solo and chamber music series, and with professional orchestras in and around Indiana.
Professor Ajango is a founding member of the Circle City Wind Quintet (2003-present), comprised of members of the Indianapolis Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. The quintet serves as music educators for the Symphony, performing at schools, community centers, retirement homes, and for corporations (Eli Lilly & Co., Roche, others). Professor Ajango has a keen interest in musical outreach and education; she has served as a teaching artist for the Manhattan School of Music, the New York Philharmonic, the Montana Summer Symphony, and Midori and Friends. Her faculty positions have included instructor of oboe at Anderson University, the University of Indianapolis, and Earlham College, visiting professor of oboe at the University of Virginia, and oboe studio assistant at her alma mater, the Manhattan School of Music. Professor Ajango has taught at many summer music programs, including Indiana University’s Summer Music Clinic, the Saarburg Festival (Germany), InterHarmony Festival (Italy), and Butler University’s oboe and woodwind camps. Most recently, she co-created “The Midwest Oboe Collective”, a chamber group comprised of oboe professors from around the Midwest. They were featured performers at the 2019 International Double Reed Society conference, and are currently planning many exciting oboe events in the near future (stay tuned)!
Professor Ajango is active in the International Double Reed Society, having performed and lectured at many conferences over the years. Her 2012 presentation titled “Creating and Maintaining a Successful Freelance Career” was well-received and has been referenced by other oboists in their teaching curriculum. She has performed at the yearly conferences as both a chamber and solo musician, twice premiering works which were written for her (The Empty Sky for solo oboe, by Butler professor and composer Frank Felice, and Variations for oboe, bassoon, and piano, by Matthew Bridgham). Professor Ajango was a guest clinician at the 2015 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, presenting a lecture/demonstration “Foundations for Successful Oboe Students”, which led to a published article for the SmartMusic blog, now used regularly by many school band and orchestra programs.
https://www.smartmusic.com/blog/author/pamela-ajango/
Besides performing and teaching, Professor Ajango is active in arts administration as well. She is on the orchestra committee of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, currently serving as its chairperson. She has served on this committee for many years, including three contract negotiation periods. She has worked as a contractor since 2001 for orchestra projects, as well as smaller ensembles. During her time in New York City, she was employed by organizations such as CultureFinder, Midori and Friends, and the New York Philharmonic, writing reports, grant proposals, and online content. She continues to help students with their writing and editing skills, and has been a featured speaker at lectures about business skills in the music workplace.
Professor Ajango was previously a full-time freelance oboist in New York City, where she performed with many esteemed ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, as well as for many Broadway productions and commercial recordings. She helped create the SONOS Chamber Orchestra of New York, serving as its first personnel manager and principal oboist, and was a featured soloist on its premiere concert. An Indianapolis native, Professor Ajango studied with Malcolm Smith, former principal oboist of the ISO, and her predecessor at Butler University. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Boston University, under the tutelage of Ralph Gomberg, former principal oboist of the Boston Symphony. Her master’s degree is from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Joseph Robinson, retired principal oboist of the New York Philharmonic. She completed doctoral work with Stephen Taylor at SUNY Stony Brook.
Trina Gross joined the Butler faculty as Instructor of Clarinet in the fall of 2014. She currently is the second and e-flat clarinetist in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s clarinet section, a position she has held since 2002. Prior to joining the ISO, she was principal clarinetist of the Louisville and Augusta Symphony Orchestras. Ms. Gross has also held positions with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Orchestra. As an active chamber musician, she is a founding member of the Circle City Winds and performs frequently with other ensembles in Indianapolis. This summer 2024, Trina will participate in the Endless Mountain Music Festival in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania as principal clarinetist.
Ms. Gross performed Messiaen’s Quatour Pour la Fin du Temps with the Eroica Trio during Butler’s Arts Fest in April of 2016. She has also appeared as a soloist with the Butler Wind Ensemble in Scott McAllister’s Concerto Americana for Clarinet and Saxophone in the fall of 2015. Additionally, she recently performed the Weber Concertino with the Hochstein Alumni Orchestra in Rochester, NY in January of 2016. Ms. Gross has also appeared as soloist with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra, the Indiana State University Wind Ensemble and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ms. Gross earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. She received her Master of Music, Performance Certificate and Performer Diploma from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Her principal teachers include Eli Eban, James Campbell, Alfred Prinz, Charles Neidich and William Osseck. As a clarinet instructor, Ms. Gross has also served on the faculties of Indiana State University and the University of Indianapolis. She also maintains a private clarinet studio in her home.
Alistair Howlett currently serves as Assistant Principal and Second Flute with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Prior to this, he held the positions of Principal Flute with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and Utility Flute with the Opera Australia Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House.
Howlett holds a Bachelor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a Master’s in Performance from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Munich, where he studied under Professor András Adorján.
In addition to his orchestral work, Howlett is the co-artistic director of the Ronen Chamber Ensemble, which performs throughout the Indianapolis area.
An experienced educator, Howlett currently teaches at Butler University. He has held teaching positions at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, DePauw and Anderson Universities.
Outside of music, Howlett supports Liverpool FC and the Buffalo Bills, enjoys playing tennis, and spending quality time with his family.
Described as having a “deliciously smooth sound” (The News-Gazette), Jonathan Dufresne has been invited to perform internationally in Spain, Austria, Netherlands, Canada, and several venues across the United States, including Carnegie Hall. He also performed as a soloist with the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Wind Symphony, Hindsley Symphonic Band, St. James Episcopal Choir, and the LSU Jazz Ensemble to name a few.
Recent accomplishments include first prize in the 2024 Krannert Debut Artist Competition, second prize in the 2023 MTNA Chamber Music Competition, first prize in the 2022 UISO Concerto Competition, first prize in the 21st Century Talents International Solo Competition, finalist in the 2021 Coltman Chamber Music Competition, and semi-finalist in the 2021 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
Strongly valuing versatility, Jonathan is regularly hired to perform alongside cover bands and occasional celebrities, such as Ginuwine, for corporate events, festivals, and sporting events, including the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana.
As an educator, he has held several teaching positions as saxophone instructor across Indiana, Illinois, and Louisiana. He has maintained a private studio, in which many of his students have participated in All-State ensembles, and currently serves as Instructor of Saxophone at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University, a Master of Music degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, also from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jonathan’s former teachers include Debra Richtmeyer, Griffin Campbell, Chip McNeill, Ron Bridgewater, Doug Stone, and Jennifer C. Foret, with additional study under renowned composer/arranger and jazz bassist, Bill Grimes.