Susan Durnin – Bassoonist, Arts Administrator

Susan Durnin is an active bassoonist, arts administrator, and educator. An active bassoonist, she is a founding member of the electronic bassoon ensembles DFM and Rebel Bearcat, and is the principal bassoonist of Summerhill Orchestra, and Toronto Sinfonietta. Susan holds an Artist Diploma in Orchestral Studies from the Glenn Gould School and a Bachelor Degree in Music Performance from the University of Manitoba.

As an administrator, she has over ten years of experience as an Artist Manager, specializing in Operations, Grant Writing, Event Planning, Program Management, Marketing and Communications. She was the Communications Director of the inaugural 2015 Bassoonapalooza, a one-day bassoon festival held in Toronto and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Ryerson University.

Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of bassoonists, Susan has a private teaching studio. She focuses on technique and fundamentals, and her students have been accepted into many prestigious post-secondary institutions.

What I Do

Bassoonist

Susan began playing the bassoon at the age of 12 and instantly fell in love with the instrument. An avid performer, she plays regularly in orchestras, chamber ensembles, and her electric bassoon band DFM.

Administrator

Organized, detail-oriented, and creative, is experienced in designing programs, organizing music events and concerts, planning artist tours, artist/concert marketing, grant-writing, biography-writing, and digital marketing.

Educator

Susan has been teaching private bassoon lessons and clinics since 2006. Her teaching is dedicated to providing a solid technical foundation for young bassoonists, which then allows for extended musical exploration.

Reed Maker

Specializing in wide reeds that are responsive and stable with rich tone, Susan continues to explore the creative and constructive aspects of bassoon reed-making and contrabassoon reed-making.