George Zukerman has brought the bassoon out of the orchestra and into the spotlight. In the course of 40 world tours, Zukerman has played his bassoon in major cities and far-flung locales, from Rome to Tahiti, Hong Kong to Afghanistan. He visited the former Soviet Union seven times, and offered master classes in China. Once or twice his audiences have even included camels and elephants.
Zukerman's recording of classical bassoon concertos with the Wurttemburg Chamber Orchestra was a best seller. He's also made it his mission to unearth hundreds of previously unknown works for the instrument, and commission new ones. Critics have called him "the high priest of the bassoon."
George Zukerman was born in London, England. In the late '40s he joined the Israel Philharmonic, then moved to Canada in 1953 to play with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. After he launched his solo career, Zukerman crafted recital programs that included commentaries about music along with stories of his travels. And he's also an impressario and educator, who has visited more than 250 schools in the Canadian North.
George Zukerman is an excellent raconteur, as you'll hear when he hosts This Is My Music on Saturday, Nov. 10, on CBC Radio 2, 10:05 a.m. to noon in most of the country, 11:05 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Atlantic Canada.
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