Catherine Van Handel

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Catherine (Chen) Van Handel 陳以臻 joined The Cleveland Orchestra as Assistant Principal Bassoon in January 2026. She served as Principal Bassoon of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2025. Prior to joining the MSO, Van Handel held a tenured position as Associate Principal Bassoon with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Van Handel has appeared as guest principal with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Van Handel has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the “President’s Own” US Marine Band, among others. A dedicated educator, Van Handel has served on the faculties of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, the University of Toronto, and the Brevard Music Center. She has given masterclasses at institutions such as the New World Symphony and the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. Her festival participation includes Marlboro, Tanglewood, and Mainly Mozart Festival, to name a few. In 2023, she released her debut album, Bassoon Soirée: From Latin America to Paris, and performed as soloist with the MSO in the recorded premiere of David Ludwig’s Pictures from the Floating World. Both recordings are available on all live-streaming platforms. Van Handel earned her Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Daniel Matsukawa. She began piano at age four, cello at age five, and started the bassoon at fourteen. Her teachers also include Joyce Kelley and Marc Goldberg.