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Alumni Spotlight on Quincey Trojanowski '19
A Life in Music: Quincey Trojanowski ’19 and her Road to the Colorado Symphony!
Quincey Trojanowski '19 is forever grateful that the faculty and staff at Montini saw her potential, believed in her, and supported her as she pursued her dream of becoming a professional classical musician.
Her musical journey started with wanting to be just like her older brother, who played clarinet in the school band. She began trying different musical instruments and before long, she fell in love with music and the feeling of “using all of her senses at once” — something she says felt even more rewarding than getting the right answer on a test. Soon after, a wind quartet visited her school, and the bassoon immediately stood out to her. Once she started playing, she couldn’t stop. She loved practicing, improving, and even in middle school knew music was what she wanted for her future.
When Quincey entered Montini as a freshman, there was no roadmap for balancing everything Montini prides itself on — strong academics, faith formation and a connected community — while also helping her grow as an elite-level musician.
She says the support of the faculty and staff made it possible for her to pursue challenging academics in a traditional high school environment while continuing advanced bassoon training. High school looked a little different for Quincey than it did for many of her classmates. Along with excelling academically, she spent countless hours practicing and refining her craft — working independently and with tutors, studying at the Merit School of Music on Saturdays, and performing with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra on Sundays. That dedication and work ethic eventually led to an extraordinary accomplishment: at just 25 years old, Quincey is now the principal bassoonist for the Colorado Symphony.
After Montini, she earned her undergraduate degree in Bassoon Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. Unlike a conservatory program, her studies included liberal arts coursework alongside her music and performance training, an experience she believes helped shape her into a more well-rounded person and musician. She later earned her master’s degree from Rice University before entering the highly competitive audition process required of professional orchestral musicians — a process she describes as incredibly demanding, but also one of her proudest achievements to overcome. “For every success there are 12 rejections,” she shared. “You can’t view rejection as a representation of your value and quality as an artist.” Her perseverance earned her positions with the Houston Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, and San Antonio Philharmonic before stepping into her current role with the Colorado Symphony. Her favorite piece to perform is The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky, famous for its challenging opening bassoon solo.
Today, Quincey loves being part of an organization that continues to push the boundaries of classical music while connecting new audiences to the arts. If you have the chance to see the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks this summer or in Denver throughout the year, know that one of Montini’s finest is performing on stage.
Montini Catholic is a Lasallian college preparatory high school located in Lombard, Illinois (DuPage County).
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Her musical journey started with wanting to be just like her older brother, who played clarinet in the school band. She began trying different musical instruments and before long, she fell in love with music and the feeling of “using all of her senses at once” — something she says felt even more rewarding than getting the right answer on a test. Soon after, a wind quartet visited her school, and the bassoon immediately stood out to her. Once she started playing, she couldn’t stop. She loved practicing, improving, and even in middle school knew music was what she wanted for her future.
When Quincey entered Montini as a freshman, there was no roadmap for balancing everything Montini prides itself on — strong academics, faith formation and a connected community — while also helping her grow as an elite-level musician.
She says the support of the faculty and staff made it possible for her to pursue challenging academics in a traditional high school environment while continuing advanced bassoon training. High school looked a little different for Quincey than it did for many of her classmates. Along with excelling academically, she spent countless hours practicing and refining her craft — working independently and with tutors, studying at the Merit School of Music on Saturdays, and performing with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra on Sundays. That dedication and work ethic eventually led to an extraordinary accomplishment: at just 25 years old, Quincey is now the principal bassoonist for the Colorado Symphony.
After Montini, she earned her undergraduate degree in Bassoon Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. Unlike a conservatory program, her studies included liberal arts coursework alongside her music and performance training, an experience she believes helped shape her into a more well-rounded person and musician. She later earned her master’s degree from Rice University before entering the highly competitive audition process required of professional orchestral musicians — a process she describes as incredibly demanding, but also one of her proudest achievements to overcome. “For every success there are 12 rejections,” she shared. “You can’t view rejection as a representation of your value and quality as an artist.” Her perseverance earned her positions with the Houston Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, and San Antonio Philharmonic before stepping into her current role with the Colorado Symphony. Her favorite piece to perform is The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky, famous for its challenging opening bassoon solo.
Today, Quincey loves being part of an organization that continues to push the boundaries of classical music while connecting new audiences to the arts. If you have the chance to see the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks this summer or in Denver throughout the year, know that one of Montini’s finest is performing on stage.
Montini Catholic is a Lasallian college preparatory high school located in Lombard, Illinois (DuPage County).
