Biography
Rian Craypo has been principal bassoonist of the Houston Symphony since 2007. Born in Virginia, she moved to Texas at 10 months of age and grew up east of Austin in a small intentional community.
After studying at the University of Texas at Austin with Kristin Wolfe Jensen, she attended Rice University, where she received her master’s degree with former Houston Symphony Principal Bassoon Benjamin Kamins.
In 2001, she was awarded a Federation of German/American Clubs Scholarship, which led to a year of study and performances in Germany, and she was a finalist in the Gillet-Fox International Bassoon Competition in both 2004 and 2006. Rian serves on the board of MOTHS (Musicians of the Houston Symphony) which presents Houston Symphony musicians several times a year in intimate and engaging chamber settings. She is also the author of a book about bassoon reed making, published in 2017. She and her husband Sean have three children.