About Us
“Consistent, high-quality results.”
Donna Agrell, Faculty, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis“The reeds are really great. I’m totally enjoying using them and have shared your contact with colleagues here.”
Catherine Stockwell, Freelance Bassoonist“The reeds work great on my baroque & classical bassoons so thank you very much for those. I am so grateful for you doing all the hard work & freeing me to focus on performing – THANK YOU!”
Joe Qiu, Historical Bassoonist“Andrew’s historical bassoon reeds are the work of a skilled craftsman. They suit perfectly the needs of a high profile player.”
Carles Cristobal, Faculty, l'Aula de Musica Antiga del Conservatori Isaac Albéniz de Girona“Andrew I just want to tell you how amazing the profile on the last batch of baroque cane I bought from you is!! I can cut the tip and play on them with absolutely no scraping required. With a big recital looming, this is a dream come true so thank you so much!!”
Simone Walters, Historical BassoonistBassoons.ch is dedicated to supplying the best possible bassoon reeds and cane for instruments both historical and modern. Whether it be a brand new Heckel-system instrument or an 18th Century original, we can provide you with the materials you need. Our state-of-the-art machinery and in-depth knowledge of historical reed-making techniques allow us to develop truly excellent products. Furthermore, we take pride in our historical bassoon reeds and cane and promise to deliver the best possible quality product, unlike those which only supply the best materials for the modern instrument. At bassoons.ch, cane selection is always a top priority so, consequently, we only source materials from brands we trust. Those include Ghys, Danzi, Glotin, Argendonax, Marca, Medir, and Rigotti.
What You Need to Know
Andrew has many years of experience making reeds for both Heckel system and historical bassoons. He has studied reed-making under the tutelage of Jo Ann Simpson, Mathieu Lussier, and Donna Agrell, and has taken workshops with many other important bassoonists including Paul Buttemer, James MacKay, Jim Ewen, and Stéphane Lévesque.
In 2019, Andrew was supported by The Canada Council for the Arts to complete a research project on the reeds of Wilhelm Knochenauer and Carl Mechler, with the aid of Jim Mackay. The knowledge gained from that project has had a direct influence on the design and production of his reeds.
A graduate of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Andrew performs with many top-level ensembles in Switzerland and Germany. Andrew performs regularly as a member of Il Gusto Barocco (DE), Accademia Barocca Lucernensis (CH), and is bassoonist to the Capricornus Consort (CH). In 2013 and 2014, he was solo bassoonist with the European Union Baroque Orchestra.
In 2017 Andrew became the first bassoonist to win first prize at the FagotNetwerk’s Professional Bassoon Competition while perfoming on an historical instrument.
Most importantly, as both a soloist and ensemble musician Andrew understands the demands of the modern historical bassoonist. He expects his reeds to meet the needs of the highest level performer.
