Robert Thompson (born August 16, 1936) is an American

bassoonist The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuos ...

. As well as performing with many of the world's leading orchestras and chamber groups, Robert Thompson has recorded neglected works by 19th-century composer

Franz Danzi Franz Ignaz Danzi (15 June 1763 – 13 April 1826) was a German cellist, composer and conductor, the son of the Italian cellist Innocenz Danzi (1730–1798) and brother of the noted singer Franzeska Danzi. Danzi lived at a significant time in t ...

and an album of music for

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...

. He has also commissioned and performed works by contemporary composers such as

John W. Downey John W. Downey (October 5, 1927 – December 18, 2004) was a contemporary classical composer, conductor, pianist and educator. His works have been performed extensively in Western and Eastern Europe, South America, Australia, Africa, the Middle ...

and Andrzej Panufnik.

Early life

Thompson was born in Dallas and grew up in West Texas. He studied both at the Juilliard School and at the Yale School of Music and his teachers included Harold Goltzer,

Bernard Garfield Bernard Garfield ''(né'' Bernard Howard Garfield; born May 27, 1924) is an American bassoonist, composer, teacher, and recording artist. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he is best known for his long tenure as the principal bassoonist of the Philadel ...

and

Robert Bloom Robert Bloom (May 3, 1908February 13, 1994) was an oboist with an orchestral and solo career, a composer and arranger contributing to the oboe repertory, and a teacher of several successful oboists. Bloom is considered seminal in the development of ...

Career

He first performed with the Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra while he was still a student. Later in his career he was Principal Bassoon of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared and recorded with many orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, the

Manchester Camerata The Manchester Camerata is a British chamber orchestra based in Manchester, England. A sub-group from the orchestra, the Manchester Camerata Ensemble, specialises in chamber music performances. The orchestra's primary concert venue is The Bridg ...

, and the London Musici. As a chamber musician, he has performed with many groups including the

Coull Quartet The Coull Quartet is an England, English string quartet that was founded at the Royal Academy of Music, London in 1974 under the guidance of renowned quartet leader, Sidney Griller. They were appointed Quartet-in-Residence by the University of ...

, the

Fine Arts Quartet The Fine Arts Quartet is a chamber music ensemble founded in Chicago, United States in 1946 by Leonard Sorkin and George Sopkin. The Quartet has recorded over 200 works and has toured internationally for 77 years, making it one of the longest en ...

, and the Chicago Symphony String Quartet. Thompson has recorded for

Chandos Records Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Musical Heritage Society Musical Heritage Society was an American mail-order record label founded in New York City in 1962 by Michael "Mischa" Naida (1900–1991), co-founder of Westminster Records, and T. C. Fry Jr. (1926–1996). Background After a small initial group ...

, Harmonia Mundi, and Heritage Records. His recordings include the neglected works for bassoon and string trio by

and four bassoon concertos by

. He has also recorded works by contemporary composers such as John Downey, Gordon Jacob and Jurriaan Andriessen. He commissioned the ''Bassoon Concerto'' by Andrzej Panufnik, which premiered in Milwaukee in 1986. Thompson recorded the concerto in 1987, with Panufnik conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In the same year, Thompson performed the concerto in the church of Jerzy Popiełuszko, the murdered Roman Catholic Priest to whom the piece is dedicated.

Teaching

For many years, Robert Thompson was a member of faculty at the

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

as Professor of Bassoon and Director of the Institute for Chamber Music. Thompson has also taught at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

, the

Royal Northern College of Music The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a conservatoire located in Manchester, England. It is one of four conservatoires associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition to being a centre of music education ...

and the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Robert American classical bassoonists 1936 births Living people Musicians from Dallas

Early life

Career

Teaching

See also

References