Alex Nelson, a Cape Cod native and classically trained bassoonist, began her musical journey at age 5, studying piano privately in a converted parsonage. She explored several instruments before falling in love with bassoon in 6th grade, after her sister but before her brother started playing bassoon, too. While studying under Janet Underhill, Alex attended BU Tanglewood Institute then later studied under Christopher Millard, Lewis Kirk, and David McGill. Alex believes great teachers should be ever-evolving musicians. Her performances include NPR’s From the Top, Duxbury Music Festival, Cape Symphony, and the (Greater) Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras.
Alex is a passionate music educator who blends technical rigor and warm musicality with inclusive, holistic teaching. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, her teaching background includes assisting a choir for adults with disabilities, mentoring young composers in detention centers, and becoming a certified Music Together teacher. Alex’s goal is to cultivate confidence, joy, and lifelong musicianship in every learner.
Alex currently directs rural public health initiatives on the Outer Cape while continuing to play professionally across the Cape and beyond. After teaching music in and around Chicago Public Schools as a certified K-12 Music Educator, she is thrilled to return to her roots—bringing music and service full circle to the community that first inspired her.
