Dr. Kristilyn Woods is an active bassoonist and teacher in Phoenix, Arizona.  Dr. Woods is an adjunct faculty member at Grand Canyon University and an active freelance musician, holding principal positions with Arizona Pro Arte chamber orchestra and The Scottsdale Philharmonic. In addition to performing in classical music settings, Kristilyn is a founding member of the gypsy rock band Dry River Yacht Club, who recently released their third studio album, El Tigre.​



In March of 2015, Kristilyn was voted "Best Horn Player" by Modern Times Magazine. She has performed as a featured soloist with the Scottsdale Philharmonic and The Ohio State University Sympony Orchestra. Her current chamber music projects include woodwind quintets, trios, and Flex Duo, a project that features Kristilyn paired with a rotating cast of the Phoenix's most talented musicians. Flex Duo performs a blend of fun and sophisticated music, breathing new life into repertoire of the past and generating exposure for current pieces and arrangements.  

 

Most recently, Kristilyn founded Echo Canyon Chamber Ensemble, a group of young professional musicians presenting innovative classical chamber music concerts outside the traditional concert hall. The ensemble's multi-disciplinary events feature music paired with illustration, film, dance, and more.  Echo Canyon strives to excite and engage audiences while reinforcing classical music as a living, relatable art form. 

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These experiences are building on Kristilyn's solid foundation of innovation, performance, and musical excellence. Kristilyn has participated in several of Arizona Republic’s Storytellers events, in which speakers prepare a first-person story and share their experiences with a live audience. Other past experiences include performing regularly with the free improvisation collective Nameless Sound and DJing several different shows on the college radio station KTRU Houston.

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Kristilyn earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in bassoon performance from The Ohio State University and her doctoral thesis, The Bassoon in Mexico, is currently published by Lambert Academic Publishing. She received a Master of Music from Arizona State University and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Music from the University of Houston. Her previous bassoon instructors include Karrie Pierson, Dr. Albie Micklich, Dr. Jeffrey Lyman, and Jeff Robinson.