Dr. Jeff Womack is the Professor of Bassoon and Music History at Tennessee Tech University. He is also the principal bassoon of the Bryan Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Cumberland Quintet, and co-director of the Tennessee Tech Double Reed Ensemble. Research areas include reed-making pedagogy and commissioning and performing new works for the bassoon and especially the contrabassoon.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Berea College, a Master of Music Degree from Illinois State, and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Louisiana State University. His primary teachers include Dan Duncan, Michael Dicker, William Ludwig, Christopher Weait. His major research focused on Baroque performance practice. His studies included lessons on historical bassoons and dulcian with Michael McCraw.

He is thoroughly committed to his students’ development as future educator/musicians as is proven by the successes of his students. He has served as a clinician and adjudicator for regional and state music contests and also has presented masterclasses at universities throughout the US and abroad.

An active performer, Dr. Womack performs frequently with the Nashville and Knoxville Symphonies and other ensembles in the region. While in Texas, he served as principal bassoon of the San Angelo Symphony and contrabassoonist of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. He also performed regularly with the Fort Worth Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, and the Abilene Philharmonic. He has also performed with several period-instrument ensembles including Apollo’s Fire and Tafelmusik.

Dr. Womack is a member of and has performed at numerous Conferences of the International Double Reed Society, most recently at the 2021 IDRS virtual conference. At the 2010 conference in Norman, OK, his own composition Rustic Celebration for woodwind trio was premiered. The work is currently in print with Prairie Dawg Press. 

Prior to joining the faculty at Tennessee Tech in 2019, Dr. Womack held university positions in Texas, North Dakota, and Arizona. In 2013, Dr. Womack received both the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at Angelo State University and the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Award (encompassing the entire Texas Tech University System of which Angelo State forms a part).