Martin Kuuskmann

Adjunct Instructor

Bassoon

mkuuskmann@cornish.edu

Estonian-born bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann’s charismatic and entertaining performances throughout the world have earned him a reputation as one of the leading bassoonists in the world today. The New York Times has praised Kuuskmann’s playing as “dynamic” and “amazing.”

As a soloist Kuuskmann has performed Berio’s Sequenza XII as part of the New York Philharmonic series; he has also appeared as a featured soloist with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Macao Orchestra, Nordic Symphony Orchestra, Riga Sinfonietta, Grazioso Chamber Orchestra of Hungarian National Philharmonic, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Norrlandsoperan, among others. He has appeared at chamber music festivals around the world including in Bremen, Hamburg, Gstaad, Kuhmo, Gaia, Umeå, Kristiansand, Banff, and Hong Kong. Future seasons include invitations for concerto engagements with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and several projects with conductor Neeme Järvi.

Kuuskmann has premiered eight bassoon concertos written especially for him by composers Christopher Theofanidis, E-S.Tüür, E. Tamberg, Tõnu Kõrvits, Charles Coleman, Gregor Huebner and Gene Pritsker as well as having recorded the bassoon concerto of American composer David Chesky, for which Kuuskmann received a Grammy nomination. Kuuskmann has also performed Michael Daugherty’s “Dead Elvis” around the world nearly fifty times and has recorded the work on the Enja and CCn’C labels.

Kuuskmann is a graduate of Yale University and the Manhattan School of Music. His mentors include Stephen Maxym, Frank Morelli and Rufus Olivier. He is a founding member and solo bassoonist with the Absolute Ensemble, as well as a founding member of the Mann Trio along with Christoph Hartmann, principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Norwegian pianist Håvard Gimse. He makes his home with his wife and three children in Blaine, Washington.