About Yahara River Woodwinds

Katy Hopkins, owner of Yahara River Woodwinds, is a Certified Woodwind Instrument Repair Technician with over 30 years of experience repairing thousands of woodwinds.  

 After completing a Bachelor’s of Music in Oboe Performance from Lawrence University in the Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, she attended Red Wing Vocational Technical School (currently know as Minnesota State College Southeast) where she received a Certification of Instrument Repair. Katy then worked for Powell Flutes while completing a Master’s of Music in Oboe Performance at New England Conservatory in Boston. After receiving her Master’s degree, she worked for James Keyes Bassoons in Memphis for several years, and since 2000, she has worked independently repairing woodwinds for beginners, collegiate and professional woodwind players in the Mid-South area.  

 Katy is a certified Straubinger and Muramatsu flute technician. She also repaired instruments for 5 summers at the International Music Camp in Dunseith, North Dakota. In addition to maintaining a repair business, Katy taught middle school choir and band at St. Mary’s Episcopal School for 20 years and was the Instructor of Oboe at the University of Mississippi for 26 years. She is also an accomplished oboist and has performed extensively throughout the Mid-South, including performing regularly with the Memphis Symphony, the University of Mississippi Faculty Woodwind Quintet and traveling tours of national productions such as Wicked, King and I and the group Mannheim Steamroller, to name a few. 

 Katy recently moved to Stoughton, Wisconsin (near Madison) where she repairs flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons full-time in her business, Yahara River Woodwinds. After decades of extensive repair, teaching and playing experience, Katy is sensitive to all levels of players from beginners to professionals and strives to meet each player’s specific needs. Katy grew up in rural Maine with a family that made music a part of the fabric of its life and she strives to continue that tradition. She is extremely proud of her two girls, Hannah and Elise (also accomplished musicians) who attend Agnes Scott College and the University of Louisville respectively. Katy lives with her partner, Jeff Bartzen, a fellow Lawrentian, and likes to take long walks near their home on the Yahara River with Henry the Doberman who can’t resist singing along with her when she play-tests instruments. Her cats, Bella and Errol, who only work for food, are head of quality control and supervise all repairs.