NADINA MACKIE JACKSON
BASSOON
GALLERY | BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | CONCERTO | DISCOGRAPHY | LINKS
GALLERY
Photography Bo Huang, Bo photo studio, Montreal/Toronto, Cylla von Tiedemann, Toronto
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BIOGRAPHY
Renowned Canadian bassoonist, Nadina Mackie Jackson, tours and records worldwide on both modern and historical bassoons. Her performances are remembered for their “effortless musicality and integrity, making the bassoon sound like a human voice” (NATIONAL POST). With eleven critically acclaimed solo and chamber CD titles to her credit and more than 100 orchestral recordings on the London Decca, Sony and Naxos labels, “Jackson removes all doubts as to the bassoon being a born solo instrument" (NORTHWEST REVERB).
Ms. Mackie Jackson has had many new works dedicated to her, including solo and double concerti, sonatas, solo works and one symphony. Collaborating steadily with emerging and established composers, she has recently premiered numerous works including the first instalment of the electro acoustic work, Our Weight in Phrases by Christopher Willes at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Dreaming in Colours with composer/pianist Hye Kyng Lee at the Ninth Festival of Women Composers at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Glenn Buhr's Concerto No. 2 for bassoon and orchestra and two concertos at the NUMUS festival.
In the 2010.11 season, Ms. Jackson was a featured performer for the Les Idées Heureuses Concert Series and completed a special recording of Vivaldi concerti to be released at a later date. In addition, she completed a US tour with the Quebec based ensemble Les Violons du Roy. On this tour, the ensemble was presented by organisations including Carnegie Hall, La Jolla Music Society and Seattle’s prestigious Benaroya Hall where Ms. Jackson was singularly noted by the Seattle Times for her “ unshakably solid bassoon tone [which] added still more poignancy” to the performance. This season, Nadina will tour extensively throughout Canada as part of the guy&nadina trumpet and bassoon duo. She will also serve as an adjudicator for the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition for which she is on the advisory board.
Nadina has performed as soloist with major orchestras including l'Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Toronto Chamber Orchestra, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra (Ithaca, N.Y.), the Grand River Festival Soloists and l'Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières. She is also a regular guest with Les Violons du Roy in Quebec City. A featured performer at the 2009 JPF awards ceremony held in Tennessee, Nadina represented the sole classical act amongst ninety performances. Ms. Mackie Jackson also performs regularly, in recital and with orchestra, with multi-instrumentalist Guy Few as part of the guy&nadina duo.
Upon graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music, Nadina immediately went on to become a member of l'Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal where she remained for a decade. She subsequently became principal bassoon of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra for two years and is currently the principal bassoonist of the Toronto Chamber Orchestra, the Group of Twenty Seven and the baroque orchestra, Aradia Ensemble.
Ms. Mackie Jackson is the founder of the Council of Canadian Bassoonists. She teaches at the University of Toronto and The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School.
(as of September 2011)
REVIEWS
“Jackson performs with effortless musicality and integrity, making the bassoon sound like a human voice”
- NATIONAL POST
“…bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson handles adeptly and with clear relish…[the] tone throughout the bassoon’s register is delicious.”
- WHOLENOTE MAGAZINE
“This is one of the most delightful recordings I have ever heard…interpretation, phrasing, ornamentation by consummate artist Nadina Mackie Jackson…she can make the music dance for your ears…an absolute thrill to hear.”
- THE DOUBLE REED Magazine
“…Jackson’s chops are fantastic…saucy and supremely confident…delicious [and] heart-achingly sincere…"
- NORTHWEST REVERB
“…seductively and shimmeringly gorgeous”
- WORLD MAGAZINE
“Mackie Jackson has a dark, burnished tone and a sensuous way of playing…”
- AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE
“…the solo bassoon playing of Nadina Mackie Jackson…couldn’t be more refined, quicksilver or swashbuckling.”
- GRAMOPHONE
“Former Montreal Symphony bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson has given the world two of the finest discs ever recorded. The first contains the best ever version of the Prokofiev flute sonata in D (sounding better than ever on bassoon), while the most recent is an awesome collection of 20th century works that should enter the repertory of every professional bassoonist – accessible and lovely.”
- AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE
PREFERRED CONCERTO LIST
2011-2013
Solo Bassoon and Orchestra
Marcel Bitsch Concertino
Jacques Hétu* Concerto for Bassoon, Op. 31
Hummel Grand Concerto in F Major for Bassoon
André Jolivet Concerto
Mozart Concerto
Vanhal Concerto in C (Strings only version available)
Weber Andante and Rondo, Op. 35; Concerto in F Major, Op. 75
Solo Bassoon and String Orchestra
Mathieu Lussier* Le Dernier Chant d’Ophélie (2008); Bassango (2006); Spring Lullaby (2007)
Villa-Lobos Ciranda das Sete Notas
Otmar Nussio Variations on an Aria by Pergolesi
Vivaldi (Concerti for solo bassoon, string orchestra and cembalo)
Concerto No. 1 in B flat Major
Concerto No. 2 in a minor
Concerto No. 5 in d minor
Concerto No. 6 in e minor
Concerto No. 7 in a minor
Concerto No. 14 in a minor
Concerto No. 17 in C Major
Concerto No. 23 in g minor
Concerto No. 26 in C Major
Concerto No. 35 in G Major
Solo Bassoon and Wind Symphony
Eric Ewahzen Concerto for Bassoon and Wind Ensemble
Eric Funk Concerto for Bassoon and Brass Ensemble, Op. 97
Weber Andante and Rondo (arranged)
Double Concerti
Brescianello Concerto (bassoon, violin and string orchestra)
Ritter Sinfonia Concertante in F Major (two bassoons and orchestra)
R. Strauss Concertino (bassoon, clarinet and string orchestra)
Vanhal Concerto in F (two bassoons and orchestra)
Vivaldi Concerto in G Major (bassoon, oboe and string orchestra)
Recital repertoire available upon request
Master classes and workshops available
Other concerti available upon request
* Canadian Composer
DISCOGRAPHY
Aux Armes, Citoyens! (w/ classical wind sextet, Les Jacobs!) ACD 22595
Romanza (w/ Guy Few & Toronto Chamber Orchestra) MS 1232
Bacchanale (w/ Guy Few & Toronto Chamber Orchestra) MS 1201
Caliban does Christmas (Caliban Quartet) ATMA 22334
Michel Corrette (w/ Musica Franca) MS 1171
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (w/ Mathieu Lussier & Musica Franca) MS 1170
Notes From Abroad (w/ David Swan, piano) Odd Bird Studios
Ever After (w/ David Swan, piano) Odd Bird Studios
Twelve Fantasies for Solo Bassoon by George Philipp Telemann Odd Bird Studios
FEAST: The Caliban Quartet NRLG CD 5012
BassOOnatics!: The Caliban Quartet CBC 1116
Upcoming Release
After Hours (w/ Guy Few)
LINKS
Artist Website
www.nadinamackiejackson.com
Academic Affiliations
www.music.utoronto.ca/faculty
www.rcmusic.ca
INSTRUMENTALISTS
Piano
Lucille Chung
Jane Coop
Michael Kim
James Parker
Piano Duo
Anagnoson & Kinton
Bax & Chung
Violin
Martin Beaver
Erika Raum
Bassoon
Nadina Mackie Jackson
Trumpet & Corno
Guy Few
ENSEMBLES
Piano Trio
Gryphon Trio
Trumpet & Bassoon
guy&nadina
NARRATOR
Colin Fox
WORLD MUSIC
Cuban Music Ensemble
Luis Mario Ochoa Quintet
SPECIAL PROJECT
Music-as-Theatre
The Schumann Letters
