The Musicians
Who We Are
Annabel
She/They
Flute
Annabel MacDonald is a flutist and educator based in Texas. She is dedicated to collaborative, multimedia performance, accessible music education, and research focused on music in the US Armenian Diaspora. Annabel is currently the Adjunct Professor of Flute at Texas A&M Kingsville, flutist for the Cover to Cover Quintet and SoundMap Ensemble, and freelance musician and private lesson studio instructor in the Greater Austin area.
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Annabel’s passion for innovative and interdisciplinary musicianship has led her to numerous festivals and competitions across the U.S. and abroad including Domaine Forget, the Brevard Music Center, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute. Her education includes an MM with Marianne Gedigian at The University of Texas at Austin and a Performance Certificate, BM with Dr. Jacqueline Cordova-Arrington, and BA in International Studies with a focus in Law and Human Rights from The University of Oregon. In her free time, Annabel enjoys cooking, hiking, and making music with friends.
Harry
He/Him
Oboe
Born and raised in Texas, Harris Kirby is an oboist and educator currently in the Austin area. He received a Bachelors in Music performance from the University of Denver’s Lamont school of music, and moved to Austin in the summer of 2022 to pursue a Masters degree at the University of Texas. Harris has previously played with the Greeley Philharmonic, Laredo Philharmonic, Victoria Symphony Orchestra and the Empire Lyric Opera Chamber Players. Harris has attended Rocky Ridge and Eastern Music Festivals. His own primary teachers include Steven Pettey and Ian Wisekal. Harris is also Senior Lead Instructor and Assistant Manager of Programs at Austin Kula Karate. He can be found teaching Martial Arts, reading, or making art when he isn't playing oboe for Cover to Cover.
Billy
He/Him
Trombone
Billy Pickus is an Austin-based musician who is passionate about chamber music and is a devoted advocate for contemporary music. He is currently the trombone instructor at Walsh Middle and Austin High and freelances in the Greater Austin area. He is also a founding member of Cover to Cover (cover2coverquintet.com), a modified wind quintet, and a core member SoundMap Ensemble (soundmapensemble.com), an experimental new music collective.
Previously, he was an original member of the trombone quartets Bevo Bones and the Verdant Quartet, which were finalists at the International Trombone Association Quartet Competition and the IWBC Ginger Turner Competition. In past summers, he has been a fellow at the Texas Music Festival, Round Top Music Festival, and the Berlin Opera Academy. Billy received his MM with Dr. Nathaniel Brickens at the University of Texas at Austin, where he served as Teaching Assistant to the Longhorn Band and Longhorn Pep Band, and his BM with Jeremy Wilson at Vanderbilt University. In his free time, Billy enjoys hiking, road trips, and listening to music.
Tucker
He/Him
Bassoon
Bassoonist Tucker Van Gundy is a current doctoral student at The University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music, studying with Kristin Wolfe Jensen. He also holds an undergraduate degree from UT Austin as well as a Master’s in Music degree from the Yale School of Music, where he studied under Frank Morelli.
An avid chamber musician, Tucker is a founding member of Cover to Cover Wind Quintet, an Austin-based collective that engages audiences through multimedia, storytelling, and reimagines of classical and popular works. Tucker is also an arranger, composer, writer, and visual media creator who creates many of the musical and non-musical elements for his performances. In recent years, he has been a fellow at Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, and Round Top Festival Institute.
With Kristin Wolfe Jensen, Tucker is a co-author of Music and the Bassoon, a free online method for bassoonists of all ages. Through hundreds of exercises, audio recordings, videos, pictures, charts, lesson plans, and indexed resources, this project seeks to be a comprehensive bassoon resource for all.
Currently, Tucker is a Teaching Assistant for the UT Austin bassoon studio, teaching undergraduate lessons, leading group classes, and assisting with administrative tasks. He aspires to continue teaching at the university level and foster a studio of well-rounded, creative musicians.
Evan
He/Him
Clarinet
Evan Schnurr is a clarinetist who performs as a member of the Dallas Winds and the experimental Austin-based SoundMap Ensemble in addition to Cover to Cover. He holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Texas at Austin, with principal teachers including Richard Hawkins, Jonathan Gunn, and Charles Salinger. Outside of performing, Evan maintains a sizable private lesson studio and serves as Director of Finance for music education startup Through the Staff. In past years, he has been a fellow at Colorado College Summer Music Festival and Texas Music Festival, where he was runner-up at the festival concerto competition in 2019. In his free time, Evan enjoys visiting coffee shops, thrifting, and learning about architecture.