Leigh Muñoz is a passionate pedagogue, entrepreneur, and performer who brings a wealth of experiences to her career. Currently serving as Assistant Professor of Bassoon at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and as a faculty member for the Bassoon Intensive at Interlochen Arts Camp, she has previously held bassoon teaching positions at Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Missouri, Washburn University, and Missouri State University.
Leigh is first-call substitute bassoonist and contrabassoonist with the Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera, and Kansas City Ballet. She has held positions in Jackson Symphony, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA), the Cedar Rapids Symphony, and the Springfield Symphony in Missouri. Leigh has been featured as a concerto soloist with several ensembles, including the UMKC Wind Ensemble, University of Missouri Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, University of Kansas Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, Ottawa University Symphony Orchestra, and Ohio University Symphony Orchestra.
An active member of the double reed community, Leigh is Co-Executive Director of the Meg Quigley Bassoon Symposium and Competition and has previously served as their Co-Vendor Coordinator. She has also held positions as the online contrabassoon fingerings editor for the International Double Reed Society and treasurer and web editor for Midwest Double Reed Society.
In high demand as a performer and clinician, Leigh has performed and given clinics at various international and regional conferences, including the International Double Reed Society, the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Symposium, the Midwest Double Reed Society, and the International Women in the Arts. Additionally, Leigh is the former owner of GoBassoon Reeds, a business that provided professionals, amateurs, and students from around the world with high-quality bassoon and contrabassoon reeds. Her entrepreneurial spirit and expertise in reed making have made her a sought-after clinician who shares her knowledge throughout the country.
Leigh holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Kansas, where her research focused on "Bassoon Pairings: A Theoretical and Performance Guide to the Duets with Bassoon of John Steinmetz." She also earned degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, Ohio University, and a Performance Diploma from the New England Conservatory. Throughout her studies, Leigh has been fortunate to work with esteemed teachers such as George Sakakeeny, Eric Stomberg, Nancy Stutsman, and Richard Svoboda.
