Funds for a Bassoon

Hello, my name is Daria, and I am raising funds towards buying a professional instrument. I am a postgraduate bassoonist in the final year of my Masters degree at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. I currently play on an (Adler) student model instrument which has served me extremely well for the last seven years, however feedback from my teachers and visiting professionals who have offered their advice has increasingly stressed one thing: that I need to upgrade to a professional instrument in order to make significant progress as I begin my career. I aspire to play the bassoon professionally in orchestras at the highest level, and in order to prepare and audition successfully I need to acquire a better instrument. Please share this with anyone that may be able to help, I am very grateful for all donations big or small, thank you! My journey: I began lessons on the mini-bassoon at the age of 7 as part of a council run wider opportunities project and progressed through the various music ensembles within my borough before joining the music course at Junior Guildhall, where I held the Bassoon Scholarship and in my final year received the Woodwind Prize. I was a member of the Junior Chineke! Orchestra, an initiative that aims to promote diversity in classical music making, and was invited to join the Chineke! Orchestra in their debut performances at Symphony Hall, Birmingham and in Ghent Cathedral. I have been invited to play with them on a number of occasions since, including in their 2021 BBC Prom under the baton of Kalena Bovell, and most recently on their European Tour (November 2022). I was a Junior Artist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (2016-17) mentored by their principal bassoonist, Jonathan Davies. I was a musician in the festival orchestra for the International Music Festival ‘Saint George’ in Guadeloupe 2018. During my third year of undergraduate study, I spent a semester (September 2019 – February 2020) studying at The Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Gretha Tuls through the Erasmus+ program. I am proud to have won the Guildhall Bassoon Prize this year. Most recently, I participated in Dorset Opera as an Academy player within the orchestra and attended the British Isles Music Festival, where I received coaching from Martin Gatt. My goal: My goal is to cultivate a rich and diverse portfolio career which is centred around making music with and for people. The unifying power of music never ceases to amaze me and I wish to explore and use this potential in a variety of settings. I work as a peripatetic bassoon teacher and find working with students extremely rewarding and fun. I would therefore like to develop and maintain a teaching practice alongside my playing career. In addition to individual lessons, I have had the pleasure of mentoring young people in creative educational workshops, as well as volunteered with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, supporting homeless people accessing help through a music group. At the core of my love of music is an appreciation for its ability to bring people together, and so I am passionate about leading community focused projects such as these, particularly those that reach out to people to whom classical music engagement is less readily available. I have especially enjoyed designing and delivering interactive performance workshops in schools with my wind quintet (Equinox Ensemble) and had a wonderful time mentoring the bassoonists on the English School’s Orchestra course in October 2022. My family have always been extremely supportive of me throughout my musical development, doing their best to ensure that I can continue progressing, but as we have been financially strained for years, they are unable to contribute towards funding this degree or my living expenses. I therefore depend upon student loans, financial awards or grants to cover the vast majority of costs that my teaching and performing work is unable to manage. The price of a professional model bassoon ranges from about £20,000-£45,000. I have been researching instruments for sale and have trialled some when possible. I intend to buy a second hand instrument within the £18,000-£22,000 price range. As I work to acquire funding from various sources every pound of support that I receive brings me a step closer to the reality of owning the instrument that I need. I am grateful to the Loan Fund for Musicians‘ who have kindly offered me a grant of £3,000 towards the purchase of an instrument which I must make before May 2023. I am also grateful to The Kathleen Trust who have awarded me a grant of £4,000 towards the purchase an instrument.