“March Winds” has prompted me to seek out collaborations for ACMP with other nonprofits specifically promoting wind instruments. So far, ACMP has found a new friend in the International Double Reed Society (IDRS). Through the IDRS, I made contact with Canadian bassoonist Dr. Zachary Senick, who is deeply committed to expanding the available repertoire for bassoon.

A member of the Canadian Council of Bassoonists, Zachary is the curator of the George Zukerman Library, an online resource offering free downloads of solo and chamber works from the extensive personal library of Canadian bassoon soloist and impresario George Zukerman (1927-2023).

Throughout his long life, Zukerman collected a huge library representing three centuries of bassoon repertoire.  Concerti, chamber music, solo pieces – much of it hitherto unknown to the bassoon community. In tribute to this beloved Canadian musician, the Council of Canadian Bassoonists has digitized his collection and assembled this extensive online database, thanks to Zachary’s hard work and the generosity of his widow Erika Bennedik.

And the best part?  All the works on this Main Library page are available for you to download freely!

Browse the George Zukerman Library

The Main Library page includes scores and sets of parts for chamber works by Baroque, Classical and Romantic composers for bassoon in a number of exciting combinations, including with string trio, string quartet, voice and piano, duos and trios with other wind instruments, and some larger ensembles with mixed winds, strings and keyboard. There is so much exciting music to explore, made available online for the first time thanks to the Council of Canadian Bassoonists.

The George Zukerman Library also includes pages devoted to his fascination with Russian and Slavic repertoire, and a large assembly of Canadian bassoon repertoire. 

You can learn more about George Zukerman’s fascinating life and career through The Canadian Encyclopedia. You may also enjoy this 2020 interview of George Zukerman by Vancouver Symphony principal bassoonist Julia Lockhart.