Biography
Fort Worth, Texas based bassoonist Nicole Haywood Vera Tenorio has made a name for herself as one of the fastest rising orchestral musicians in the country, having held numerous positions in professional orchestras on both United States coasts. Using her orchestral positions as a platform, she continues to seek opportunities to contribute to the community on a more intimate scale as an educator and chamber musician. Nicole is currently Acting Bassoon/Contrabassoon of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. She is also Assistant Principal and Second Bassoon of the Grant Park Orchestra in Chicago during the summer months. She previously served as Acting Assistant Principal and Second Bassoon of the Oregon Symphony for three seasons, Acting Second Bassoon of the Kansas City Symphony and Acting Bassoon/Contrabassoon of The Florida Orchestra.
Nicole is proud to have made several recordings throughout her orchestral career. While with the Kansas City Symphony, Nicole recorded a collection of Brahms orchestrations in collaboration with Reference Recordings, including Arnold Schoenberg’s orchestration of Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 1. During her time with the Oregon Symphony, she recorded Gabriela Lena Frank’s Walkabout: Concerto for Orchestra. Most recently, Nicole recorded two pieces by Alexander von Zemlinsky with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra: Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid) and Sinfonietta, Op. 23.
After years of working as a nanny for multiple families while she attended college, Nicole discovered a passion for working with young children. She combines this passion with her music through multiple outreach initiatives, including as part of the Grant Park Orchestra’s “Classical Campers” arts immersion program, where she serves dozens of children each summer through interactive workshops and engaged musical storytelling. While with the Oregon Symphony, Nicole participated in The Lullaby Project where Oregon Symphony musicians worked with local singer-songwriters, mothers, fathers and parents-to-be at Portland Homeless Family Solutions to create lullabies for their children. In other communities, Nicole has performed in centers for children that have experienced trauma, giving concerts where the children can sing along. Spreading happiness and curiosity through music in these ways remains among the most gratifying of her work.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Nicole Haywood Vera Tenorio holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Texas at Austin, where she studied with Kristin Wolfe Jensen, and a Master of Music degree from Rice University, where she studied with Benjamin Kamins. Additional major teachers include Sharon Kuster and Mark Rogers. During her free time, Nicole likes to exercise, travel and explore new restaurants and bars with her husband Alfredo.
Photos
Recordings
FORT WORTH Symphony
Live video recordings from the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition:
Contrabassoon on Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Principal Bassoon on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22
Oregon Symphony
Principal Bassoon on Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
Lullaby project
Nicole Haywood Vera Tenorio can be heard on Oregon Symphony’s The Lullaby Project Vol. 3. One of Nicole’s personal favorites from The Lullaby Project Vol 3. is “Five Rare Gems” by Mary with Stephanie Schneiderman and Anna Tivel.
The Lullaby Project is conceived through Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute. Oregon Symphony musicians work with local singer-songwriters, mothers, fathers and parents-to-be at Portland Homeless Family Solutions to create lullabies for their children.
solo bassoon
Teaching PHILOSOPHY
lessons
My goal is for students to develop technical proficiency, the ability to make convincing musical decisions, and a better understanding of reed making principles - all while maintaining a positive inner self dialogue during practice. Technical proficiency will be addressed through fundamental exercises, including scales and long tones, and etudes. Melodic etudes will be used to help students develop critical musical problem solving skills. Solo repertoire and orchestral excerpts will be assigned depending on the goals and needs of each individual student. I believe in building a solid foundation so that each student develops the skills to address weaknesses in a thoughtful and constructive manner.
I have been teaching private bassoon lessons for over ten years. I was previously on faculty at Lewis & Clark College. I thoroughly enjoy teaching students of all ages and skill levels. Please contact me if you would like to set up a lesson.
reeds
My reed making philosophy is centered around the idea that a student’s reeds should help, not hinder, their artistry. Reeds and reed making principles will be addressed to fit each individual student’s needs and goals. I make reeds in the style of Norman Herzberg’s reed making method. Several helpful reed making resources can be found on the resources section of my website.
CONTACT
To contact Nicole, please fill out the form below:
reed making Resources
Reed Diagnostics (Nicole Haywood Vera Tenorio)
Herzberg Bassoon Reed Diagram (John Haywood)
Herzberg Bevel (Benjamin Kamins)