Dr. Natalie Groom is a clarinetist, educator, composer, and arts manager in Maryland where she is the clarinet professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Towson University. Showcasing “rich, fluid, and colorful tone and skilled technical ability” (International Clarinet Association Journal), a few of Natalie’s performance career highlights include being a concerto soloist with the White Mountain Symphony Orchestra and performing at The Kennedy Center, AMP by Strathmore, New World Center, The Anthem, Phillips Collection, Austrian and Spanish Embassies, and Goethe-Institut. She has toured China with the Fred Fox Wind Quintet and performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, Annapolis Symphony, Annapolis Opera, Richmond Symphony, and Tucson Symphony.

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As a composer/arranger, Natalie’s music has been performed at the American Single Reed Summit, International Clarinet Association Conference, District New Music Coalition Conference, Mississippi Music by Women Festival, University of Maryland, The Anthem, and Smithsonian American History Museum. In 2019, two of her arrangements were premiered opening for the National Symphony Orchestra, and in 2022 two of her arrangements for rapper and wind orchestra were premiered by the University of Maryland, College Park Wind Orchestra. April 22nd, an unaccompanied clarinet piece, was featured in the International Clarinet Association Journal in 2022, and she’s currently working on a series of story works for children.

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Dr. Kat Robinson is a freelance horn player and music educator residing in the DMV metro area. Originally from Los Angeles, she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Horn Performance at the University of Maryland, College Park. Kat is a member of the US Army Reserves and serves as Principal Horn of the 300th Army Band where she performs in the Brass Quintet, Ceremonial Band, and Concert Band. She currently serves as Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of coordinating logistics for performances and missions for the 300th Army Band. Throughout her thirteen years of service, she has given over 250 performances in parades, military ceremonies, recitals, concerts, and community events across the U.S. Southwestern region.

Kat premiered Michael Poast’s Color Music Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, with TEMPO, UMD’s student-led new music ensemble. Kat also helped form Hornucopia, an all-female horn quartet composed of UMD graduate students. Hornucopia attended and performed at the 51st International Horn Symposium in Ghent, Belgium. As a freelance musician, she has performed with the Capital Wind Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, Corona Symphony, and Capital City Symphony, among others.
She earned her Master of Music degree from the University of Maryland, and her Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance and Instrumental Music Education degrees from California State University Long Beach, Bob Cole Conservatory. While in attendance, she was awarded a Bob Cole Tuition Scholarship and was invited into both Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies. Her primary teachers include Gregory Miller, Phil Munds and Dylan Hart. She is currently married to her partner Natalie, who also serves as a trumpet player in the 300th Army Band, and they are pet parents of their dog, Kylo-Ren, and their cat, Rey.

Dr. Qun (Jimmy) Ren began to play bassoon at the age of nine. In 2007, he attended the music school attached to Central Conservatory of China. Jimmy finished high school in the U.S. and obtained his Bachelor of Music degree at the Oberlin Conservatory. As a soloist, Jimmy was the winner of the University of Maryland concerto competition and made his debut concerto performance with the orchestra in 2022. As a chamber musician, Jimmy was a member of University of Maryland Fellowship Woodwind Quintet from 2017-2019, where the group also collaborated and performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet.

Jimmy has made appearances with several professional orchestras, including Washington National Opera Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and Washington Chamber Orchestra. Jimmy has attended many festivals including National Orchestral Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, Eastern Music Festival. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Maryland in College Park, where he also earned a Master of Music degree in 2019. His primary teachers include George Sakakeeny and Joseph Grimmer.