Connie Tanner, Bassoon

Connie Tanner, Bassoon

As a member of the National Children’s Orchestra at age 13, Connie decided from the first rehearsal that she wanted to play in orchestras forever! After a year in NCO, she moved to Wells Cathedral School to study with Peter Harrison and then on to The Royal Academy of Music in London, graduating in 2000.

Connie is now regarded as one of the country’s foremost freelance bassoonists. She was Associate Principal Bassoon with RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland in Dublin for 5 years where she covered the vast majority of symphonic repertoire. Since returning to the UK in 2013 her performance work includes Guest Principal with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, City of London Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra of India (Mumbai). Section playing with BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Welsh National Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera North and Welsh National Opera.

Education plays a large part in Connie’s freelance work. She took the post as bassoon teacher at Royal Academy of Music Junior Department in 2017 where she teaches one-to-one and coaches a wonderful wind quintet. She is also a coach for the bassoon/wind sections in National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain and runs a residential wind octet course for adult amateur players in Gloucestershire each year.