Bassoon
Where were you born?
East Stroudsburg, PA.
What college did you attend?
Indiana University
Hochschule fur Musik in Vienna, Austria
What inspired you to start playing music?
My parents and a good public school music program.
Why did you choose your principal instrument?
It chose me! I was playing the clarinet and the band needed a bassoonist. I was chosen because I have big hands!
What other instruments do you play?
Piano (a little).
When did you start playing with the Log Beach Symphony Orchestra (what year)?
1998.
With what other orchestras do you perform?
Santa Barbara Chamber, LA Philharmonic and Music Center Opera as a substitute.
Have you performed for any of the following, and if so, who or what?
Films:
“Amistad”, “A.I.”, “Swordfish”, “Pearl Harbor”, “Alien IV”, among others.
Recordings:
Both LBSO CDs, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra CD, several movie soundtracks, several chamber music CDs and soloist on the Haydn Concertante with the Camerata Academica Salzbury.
Who is your favorite composer?
Impossible to pick one! Some favorites: Mahler, Shostakovich and Prokofiev.
What is your favorite orchestral work?
Impossible to answer! Some favorites symphonies: Mahler’s 5th, Dvorak’s 8th and Shostakovich’s 1st.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you while onstage?
A violinist lost her earring in the quietest moment—it rolled down her viola and plopped on the floor—it seemed amazingly loud!
What do you enjoy doing besides music? (hobbies, etc)
Walking, exercising, gardening, cats and good food.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Butterscotch vanilla.
Is there anything unique you’d like our audience to know about you?
I was principal bassoonist of the Austrian Radio Orchestra for 12 years before moving here in 1996. Being a member of the LBSO has helped me make a new home in Southern California.
Email address:
jfarmer@usc.edu
Website:
www.geocities.com/judithfarmer
