Marissa Olegario is a bassoonist, educator, and community-engaged artist whose work bridges artistic excellence, service, and collaboration. She received degrees from Northwestern University (BM), Yale School of Music (MM), SUNY Stony Brook (DMA). She currently serves as Associate Professor of Music at the University of Arizona and Principal Bassoon of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and spends her summers in Durango, Colorado as second bassoon of the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra. Additional orchestral engagements have included the San Diego Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Augusta Symphony, and the GRAMMY-nominated True Concord Voices & Orchestra. Throughout her career, Marissa has centered collaboration and access, by working closely with living composers, elevating underrepresented voices, and designing community-centered performance projects. Her pedagogical approach integrates civic engagement directly into her curriculum. Under her leadership, students have organized benefit concerts for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, volunteered with Tucson’s River Restoration Project to remove arundo donax (the invasive reed species used to make bassoon reeds), and performed in “Musical Murals,” an annual outreach initiative she founded in partnership with the BEYOND foundation that brings chamber music into downtown Tucson alongside guided community mural tours. Her commitment to equity and community extends beyond performance. She has served on the Board of the Yale Club of Southern Arizona, on the DEIB Committee of the International Double Reed Society, and on the ADVANCE Committee at the University of Arizona School of Music, supporting inclusive excellence and institutional belonging. Since moving to Tucson in 2018, Marissa has also cultivated a deep personal connection to the Southern Arizona community through running. She began running through Meet Me at Maynard’s—having never run before—and quickly discovered a new passion rooted in consistency, community, and connection to place. She has since completed several marathons and spends much of her free time exploring the trails of the Sonoran Desert. Among her favorite races are the Everyone Runs Catalina State Park Trail Race, the Fleet Feet Trail Race, the Mogollon Monster 42K, and the Old Pueblo 25 Miler. Whether through music, mentorship, volunteer leadership, or miles on desert trails, Marissa believes strongly in the power of shared endeavor. Her work reflects a deep commitment to building inclusive, vibrant communities where collaboration fuels both artistic expression and collective impact.