Alexandra BerndtFaculty

Dr. Alexandra Berndt is an active performer and teacher based in the Twin Cities.  She joined the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra as the Associate Principal Bassoon in 2016 and joined the Chione Quintet in 2018.  A current substitute with the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, Dr. Berndt has also served as substitute with the Boston Pops Orchestra, Minnesota Sinfonia, Oratorio Society of Minnesota, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra (IA), Bangor Symphony Orchestra (ME), and the New World Symphony (FL).  In addition to teaching at Gustavus, she maintains a large private studio in Minneapolis.

The Gustavus bassoon studio is a warm and welcoming environment focused on individual growth.  Lessons are tailored to each individual's specific goals and needs, regardless of major.  Reed lab time is available each week for those interested in furthering their reed-making skills.  

Dr. Berndt earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Bassoon Performance with a Secondary Emphasis in Music Theory from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities.  She received her Master of Music in Bassoon Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. While in Boston, Dr. Berndt was a member of the Vento Chiaro Wind Quintet. Vento Chiaro was a two-time recipient of the Free For All Concert Fund Grant while she was a member.  She received her Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance summa cum laude and with Program Honors in Woodwinds from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.

A 2010 Tanglewood Music Center Fellow, Dr. Berndt also attended the summer music festivals at the Brevard Music Center and the Banff Music Centre.  Her primary teachers include John Miller, Richard Ranti, Suzanne Nelsen, Christopher Millard, Lewis Kirk, and David Seidel.

In her leisure time, she enjoys cooking, reading, tending to her family’s large vegetable garden, expanding and diversifying the pollinator habitat in the yard, and traveling.  She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, their son, and their two orange cats.

Courses Taught