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    Judith Farmer

    Adjunct Associate Professor

    Biography

    2016 GRAMMY® Award nominee Judith Farmer playing has been described by critics as “impeccable” (American Record Guide), “masterly” (Fanfare Magazine), “absolutely superb” (Classical CD Reviews) and “brilliant” (Kronenzeitung, Austria).

    Judith enjoys a rich and varied career as a chamber musician, orchestra musician, soloist and teacher. Formerly principal bassoonist of the Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra, she performed and toured regularly with the Camerata Academica Salzburg under Sandor Vegh and with numerous chamber music ensembles in Vienna.

    In 1996 Ms. Farmer moved to Los Angeles and since then has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including as guest associate principal in spring of 2009. She has played on the scores of over 200 major motion pictures and recorded with such artists as Daft Punk, Barbra Streisand, Neil Young, Josh Groban and Billy Childs. She is currently a member of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, the Pasadena Symphony and the Long Beach Symphony.

    Judith Farmer has appeared as a soloist in the U.S. and in Europe, including the Salzburg Festival, and has participated in chamber music festivals in Prussia Cove (UK), La Jolla (CA), Oaxaca (Mexico), San Luis Obispo (CA), Mendocino (CA), Martha’s Vineyard (MA), Salem (NY), and Garth Newel (VA). She also regularly performs on Southern California chamber music series such as Camerata Pacifica, Pittance Chamber Music, Chamber Music Palisades, South Bay Chamber Music Society and Sundays Live.

    Ms. Farmer received her education at Indiana University and at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna. She teaches bassoon at the University of Southern California, and has also taught at the International Mozart Academy in Prague, the Chautauqua Music Festival, the Henry Mancini Institute, and held guest master classes at numerous American universities. For the 1995-96 season, she held the position of visiting professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Graz, Austria.

    ​Judith Farmer is an avid chamber musician, who enjoys collaborating with composers on new works and has had numerous works written and dedicated to her. Her recordings as a soloist and chamber musician are available on Albany, CD Baby, Centaur, Ex-House and Orfeo Records. Together with her husband, composer Gernot Wolfgang, she co-produced four CDs of his chamber music for Albany Records, including Passing Through for which she received a 2016 GRAMMY® nomination in the category Best Classical Compendium.

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    Professional experience

    Career Highlights:

    • Principal bassoon, Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO) Vienna, Austria 1984-1996
    • Principal bassoon, Camerata Academica Salzburg, Austria 1988-2001
    • Performance of Haydn Sinfonia Concertante at the Salzburg Festival, 1996
    • Visiting professor, Hochschule fuer Musik in Graz, Austria 1995-1996
    • Principal bassoon, State Theater Orchestra Braunschweig, Germany 1979-1984

    Honors, Awards & Competitions:

    • 2017 GRAMMY® nomination for co-producing composer Gernot Wolfgang’s chamber music CD “Passing Through”
    • Semi-finalist, Geneva Competition 1980

    Music Festivals:

    • La Jolla Chamber Music Society
    • Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society
    • International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove, UK
    • Beverly Hills International Music Festival
    • Chautauqua Institution

    Recordings:

    • EP “Judith Farmer Plays Favorites” of chamber music by Roger Boutry, Johann Friedrich Fasch, Francis Poulenc and Gernot Wolfgang (VSIP Records, 2020)
    • CD “Vienna and the West” of chamber music by Gernot Wolfgang (Albany Records, 2019)
    • CD “Passing Through” of chamber music by Gernot Wolfgang (Albany Records, 2016) – GRAMMY® nomination
    • CD “Short Stories” of chamber music by Gernot Wolfgang (Albany Records, 2011)
    • CD “Autumn: In Moving Pictures” of jazz chamber music by Billy Childs (ArtistShare, 2010)
    • CD “Common Ground” of chamber music by Gernot Wolfgang (Albany Records, 2006)
    • Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante Hob. I/105, Camerata Academica Salzburg (Orfeo, released in 2000)
    • Symphonies of Schubert and Mozart, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra (2000)
    • Herbsttag and Hexen by Miguel Del Aguila, American Music Ensemble Vienna (Albany Records,  1991)

    Academic degrees

    Other academic experience:

    • Instructor at the Henry Mancini Institute, 2006
    • Instructor at the Chautauqua Institution, 2003
    • Visiting Professor, Hochschule fuer Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Graz, Austria 1995-1996
    • Instructor Prague Mozart Academy, 1993
    • Instructor seminar for chamber music Kumberg, Austria, July 1992 and 1993

    Studied with:

    • Leonard Sharrow, former principal bassonist Chicago Symphony
    • Karl Oehlberger, former principal bassoonist Vienna Philharmonic
    • Mordechai Rechtman, former principal bassoonist Israel Philharmonic