Period Bassoonist Nate Helgeson to Join Mercury for Mozart Concerto

On Friday, March 13 at 8 PM, period bassoonist Nate Helgeson and Mercury bring one of classical music's most well-loved bassoon works, Mozart's Bassoon Concerto in B flat major, to the Cullen Theater at the Wortham Center. Artistic director Antoine Plante also leads Mercury in Haydn's Symphony No. 83 "The Hen", second of the six Parisian symphonies, and Schubert's Fifth Symphony, a charming ode to Mozart. Tickets start at $18, to purchase or for more information visit www.mercuryhouston.org or call 713.533.0080. Photos and bios available upon request.

A native of Eugene, Oregon, Nate Helgeson performs frequently throughout the United States on modern and historical bassoons. A founding member of period instrument ensembles on both coasts, including SacroProfano (Seattle), Grand Harmonie (Boston), and Symphonie des Dragons (Boston and New York), he has also recently appeared with Juilliard Baroque, the Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Concitato, and the Sebastian Chamber Players. Equally active on the modern instrument, Nate has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic, Arosa Musiktheater, and the Orchestra of Indian Hill, and has appeared as soloist in the United States and Switzerland. Nate is a recent graduate of the Historical Performance program at the Juilliard School, and also holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the New England Conservatory of Music.