Russia's First Class for Making Bassoon and Oboe Reeds Opens at the Gnesinka
A ceremonial opening was held at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music for the country's first technical class dedicated to teaching the craft of making bassoon and oboe reeds. The timbre and stability of an instrument's sound depend directly on the quality of these reeds. This unique educational and technical facility will allow woodwind students to hone not only their performance skills but also the craft of making reeds tailored to their specific instrument.
Instructors and students took part in a presentation concert. The ribbon was cut by the President of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, Galina Mayarovskaya. The First Vice-Rector of the Academy, Svyatoslav Golubenko, emphasized that this is a landmark event for the institution:
«The Gnesin Academy has always been famous for combining tradition and innovation. The opening of Russia's first reed-making class is confirmation that we continue to be at the forefront of music education. This is a unique project that opens up new opportunities for our students and teachers.»
The initiative for the project came from Andrey Rudometkin, a bassoonist, soloist with the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, and senior instructor in the Department of Woodwind Instruments at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, and Alexey Konoplyannikov, soloist of the oboe group of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia «Evgeny Svetlanov» and a teacher at the Gnesin Music College and the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music.
Andrey Rudometkin noted that the creation of the class fulfilled a long-held dream of his:
«When I was a student myself, we lacked such a workshop. The experience of reed-making was passed down from older colleagues only sporadically, and we wanted to systematize this process. Now we want to pass on our experience to young musicians in its entirety—and we have created all the conditions for it.»
Alexey Konoplyannikov stressed the practical benefits for the students:
«A good reed is the key to a quality sound on the oboe or bassoon. Thanks to the new class, students will learn to make reeds suited to their individual characteristics, which means they will feel more confident on stage. This is a huge step forward in their professional development.»
Watch the news report on the «Culture» TV channel.
The implementation of the project was made possible by the support of the university's leadership and cooperation with the «Goncharov Atelier.» The unding for the equipment purchase was carried out within the framework of the «Priority 2030» strategic academic leadership program.
Photos: Anna Bobrik, Regina Gritsenyuk