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Alan Cook
Flute, Co-Artistic Director
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Abigail Bracken
Oboe, Co-Artistic Director
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Sophia Bracken
Clarinet, Executive Director
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Jenna Stokes
Horn, Co-Artistic Director
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David Michael
Bassoon, Co-Artistic Director
Alan Cook, flute
Flutist and multi-instrumentalist Alan Cook (he/him) is a young musician on the rise. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, he is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Multiple Winds Performance at the University of Michigan under the tutelage of Amy Porter, Chad Burrow, Dan Gilbert, and Andrew Bishop. He received his undergraduate degree in flute performance from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where he studied under Maria Fernanda Castillo and won the annual concerto competition. He has performed with the Marble City Opera and the Brevard Philharmonic and has won masterclass competitions with the Texas Flute Society and the Atlanta Flute Club, performing for pedagogues and performers such as Jasmine Choi, and Christina Smith. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, meditating, and collecting candles.
Abigail Bracken, oboe
Oboist Abigail Bracken (she/her) developed a love of music alongside her sister Sophia, a clarinetist. She is dedicated to expanding the repertoire of clarinet and oboe duets. In addition to performing many lesser-known works, Abigail has taken matters into her own hands and arranged music for this duo. Three of these works were published by TrevCo Music in 2023, and she plans to publish more throughout 2024.
Abigail is a proponent of increasing LGBTQ+ representation in classical music. She is a founding member of OUT Ensemble, a wind quintet of all-LGBTQ+ musicians that celebrates queer composers, represents diverse communities, and inspires listeners to embrace their authentic identities. As a member of the International Pride Orchestra in June 2023, she premiered Steven Luksan’s Quintet and played in the orchestra’s premiere performance of Loud! by Jimmy Bellido Lopez. Bracken hopes to continue to shine a spotlight on queer performers and composers throughout her career.
Bracken has a passion for performing music that innovates classical training and draws people together. As a soloist, she performed with the Jacobs School of Music University Orchestra on Reena Esmail’s RE|Member for live and pre-recorded solo oboe, a production that united the orchestra with the school’s audio-visual team in creating the final live performance. Bracken’s involvement in community work dates back to performances at the Court House Cultural Center in Stuart, FL, where she volunteered her time for the Sunset Concert Series organized by Dr. Marie Jureit-Beamish. Concertgoers were treated to an immersive experience of visual art accompanied by live performances.
Bracken received her Bachelor of Music from Indiana University in May 2024, where she studied with Linda Strommen. She is currently pursing a Master of Oboe Performance and a Master of Chamber Music at the University of Michigan studying with Dr. Nancy King.
Sophia Bracken, clarinet
Clarinetist Sophia Bracken (she/her) is committed to making classical music accessible for communities across the country. As a founding member of OUT Ensemble, she works to elevate the voices of queer composers to create welcoming spaces in concert halls and community venues. Community performances have long been at the forefront of Bracken’s career. In collaboration with the MartinArts Council and Peabody LAUNCHPad programs, she brought solo and chamber works into community spaces like the Florida Oceanographic Center and Walters Art Museum. As a soloist, her performances of Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsodie earned first prize in the Sidney Forrest Clarinet Competition and the Treasure Coast Symphony Concerto Competition. Her playing has been praised as “expressive with lovely tone” by Sandra Chappell of the U.S. Naval Academy Band.
Bracken is a proponent of new music, having participated in many premieres at the Peabody Institute. As a member of the Old Bay New Music Ensemble in Baltimore, she performed in opera workshops and music for new media concerts. Commissioning new works by queer composers is an essential part of OUT Ensemble’s mission; their most recent premiere, my moment passed by Rj Dion, partnered with the Lauren Blair Smith Dance Company to include choreography.
Bracken received her Bachelor of Music and Business of Music Minor from the Peabody Conservatory in 2024 studying with Alexander Fiterstein. She is pursuing a Master of Music at the University of Michigan in the studio of Chad Burrow and Daniel Gilbert. When not making music, she enjoys visiting secondhand bookstores to find new authors and hiking in national parks.
Jenna Stokes, horn
Jenna Stokes (she/her) is a freelance horn player and teacher in the Ann Arbor area. An avid orchestral musician, Jenna has performed with ensembles such as the Kansas City Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, and Portland Symphony Orchestra. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Michigan where she studies with Professors Adam Unsworth and Bryan Kennedy. A Kansas City native, her summers are spent balancing time at home with her family and attending festivals such as the Chautauqua Institute, National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute, and a recent residency with the Orchestra of the Americas. Jenna received her bachelor’s in 2023 from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Michael Winter and Richard Sebring. During her studies, Jenna has performed in masterclasses for renowned musicians such as Sarah Willis, Andrew Bain, Rachel Childers, and Abel Pereira. In her free time, Jenna enjoys reading, trying new flavors of tea, and playing the occasional video game.
David Michael, bassoon
David Michael (they/he) is the bassoonist of the OUT Ensemble. They are a 4th-Year undergraduate student in Music Education at SMTD, studying bassoon with Dr. Jeffrey Lyman and chamber music with Dr. Bill King. Hailing from Pontiac, MI, David’s performance experiences range from participation in the 2024 Orford Musique Festival’s Winds Workshop, performing the chamber works of Mozart and Amanda Harberg, to marching 3 years in the Michigan Marching Band and having served as the Alto Saxophone Section Leader, to singing in the Abyssinians Legacy Gospel Choir, a student-led organization and community. David’s core interests of study are Latin American Musics, Black Popular Music and Culture, and the intersections of Social Justice, Political Activism and Education. Additionally, David has taught instrumental music, general music, and theater with programs including the Crescendo Detroit pathways program and Wolverine Pathways. This passion for diversity in the arts and equity in education has led them towards the OUT Ensemble's mission to promote, perform, and commission works by queer composers and expand the canon of chamber winds repertoire.