Ashley Cook

Flamenco Dancer

Ashley Cook has been the Principal clarinetist of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra since 2008 and the Lake Chelan Bach Fest since 2013, and also works throughout the state of Washington as a freelance clarinetist.  Currently living in Seattle, WA, she maintains full private teaching studios in both Seattle and Olympia. A passionate educator, she is most proud of her work as a teacher, and enjoys seeing her students excel in their school music programs and beyond, including as music majors in college.  Aside from her lifelong dedication to the practice and performance of Western European Classical music, Ashley is also an avid practitioner and aficionado of flamenco dance and music, and performed flamenco at Bach Fest in 2019. She studies privately with Ana Montes in Seattle, WA, and every June she attends Festival Flamenco Alburquerque, the biggest and longest running flamenco festival outside of Spain. Ashley is currently pursuing a PhD in ethnomusicology at University of Washington, focusing her research on flamenco history and current practices within North America.