BIOGRAPHY

Corey Castillo is a bassoonist and educator based in Austin, Texas. Born and raised in California, he received his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He previously served as the contrabassoonist for the California Young Artists Symphony and now performs regularly with the UT Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. Corey maintains a studio of almost 30 middle- and high-school bassoon students and is a chamber ensemble coach for Vista Ridge High School. Through chamber music masterclasses and performances with Los Angeles-based ReedPlay Quintet and various chamber ensembles in the Austin area, diverse community audiences have been engaged by his music-making and collaboration. Corey will be spending the upcoming summer as a bassoon fellow for the Colorado College Summer Music Festival.

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Away from the bassoon, Corey is a passionate marching arts educator and student leadership clinician. From 2018 to 2023, Corey was a member of the Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps as a mellophone player and head drum major, and received the Blue Devil of the Year award in 2022 and 2023. He is a visual staff member of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps and has taught numerous high school marching bands across Austin and Los Angeles. In the digital world, Corey collaborates with Silent Command in hosting and producing The 8 to 5 Club, a podcast for leaders in the marching arts.