SOLO BASSOONIST

WHO PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS…
“sublime Canadian soloist… bassoon phenomenon in Canada and abroad…showstopper…take no prisoners and passion for the bassoon…virtuosic playing to the end drew the crowd to its feet..”

Blog review Classical Concerts NS [August 27, 2016] READ MORE

“true phenomenon…absolute virtuosity, Mackie Jackson imparted the depth, reach and importance of her beloved instrument”

Blog review Margot Aldrich, Halifax, [October 30, 2015]

“…Mackie Jackson tossed off rapid-fire runs during the short work’s first movement before displaying her gorgeous singing tone and lightly executed ornamentation in the second …”

Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Westminster United Church [March 12, 2014]

“Nadina Mackie Jackson takes full advantage of the beautiful voice of the bassoon…. brilliant artistry shines out like a jewel in a perfect setting…bold and full…deeply expressive… rapid fire… a gleeful abandon that infers the entire group”

Audio Society of Atlanta, Phil Muse, March 2014, CD review for Vivaldi Concerti Volume I

“…Tremendous colour and a riot of textures…the playing of the ensemble at this point was so extraordinary…perfectly sweet and mellow… danced, sparkling, over the edge of its time, and dissolved into an energized audience…”

Stanley Fefferman, OpusOneReview, André Laplante Makes Beautiful Music with his Friends at TSM (Toronto Summer Music Festival), July 2013

“With its top-notch soloist [Nadina Mackie Jackson] paired with some of the best baroque string and continuo players in North America this is easily one of the finest recordings of Vivaldi on modern instruments out there. Congratulations to all involved for a job very well done.”

Ryan Romine, IDRS Journal, Issue 36:1, July 2013, review of Vivaldi Concerti Volume I

“Not normally a classical fan, but when a friend receives Instrumentalist of the Year, I had to give it a listen. This sounds beautiful and energizing. The Bassoon has never sounded so beautiful!”

Matt Davidson, Log Builder and Vice President of the International Log Builders Association

“Virtuosic playing to the end drew the crowd to its feet and a chance to meet their Bassoon Heroine at intermission…”

Classic Concerts NS [September 2016]

“…Mackie Jack­son tossed off rapid-fire runs dur­ing the short work’s first move­ment before dis­play­ing her gor­geous singing tone and lightly executed orna­ment­a­tion in the second …”

Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Westminster United Church

“With its top-notch soloist [Nadina Mackie Jackson] paired with some of the best baroque … players in North America … easily one of the finest recordings of Vivaldi on modern instruments out there.”

IDRS Journal, Issue 36:1 [July 2013]

“unalloyed delight, played with breathtaking virtuosity and an irresistible verve and sparkle by Nadina Mackie Jackson and her seven cohorts…. Fasten your seatbelts.”

George Chien, Issue 36:6, Fanfare [July/Aug 2013]

“When Canadian bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson begins to play, the logic is revealed: she and McGegan turn these concertos into pure virtuoso vehicles”

 James Manheim, AllMusic [July, 2013]

Named Instrumentalist of the Year 2020 by Just Plain Folks, NADINA MACKIE JACKSON is the most widely recorded Canadian bassoonist in history with 12 solo albums, 8 chamber music recordings and dozens of albums with symphony, chamber and historical instrument orchestras.

A true communicator, confidently venturing into new works, venues and collaborations, joining forces with emerging and established composers, performers and thinkers, sharing her joy and continual sense of discovery with audiences.

18 new works for solo bassoon and orchestra were written for her in the last decade and she sees great importance in continually commissioning new composers to expand the voice of the bassoon

Recent solo recordings include Vivaldi Concerti Volume I, winner of Best Classical Album 2020 from Just Plain Folks and the Juno short-listed Canadian Concerto Project with a group of twenty-seven chamber orchestras.

Performing with folk legend Valdy and other virtuoso musicians and orchestras, Nadina has toured extensively across Canada, the US, Europe and Japan.

 

Ever mindful of the challenges young bassoonists face, Nadina is the president of The Council of Canadian Bassoonists – a nationally registered charitable status group dedicated to furthering education through the study and appreciation of the bassoon.

After decades with Canada’s top music schools, Nadina teaches widely as a master class artist and recently published SOLITARY REFINEMENT, Chromatics, Chords & Scales, Concepts for the Committed Bassoonist (Friesen Press).

Also a visual artist, Nadina has shown regularly in the past 20 years, selling to private collectors, designing album covers and creating original displays for Toronto storefronts.

Nadina is illustrating Christopher Millard’s online reed-making blog for the Council of Canadian Bassoonists. Nadina’s next big art project is to finish the remaining 13 paintings (in the series of 24) for Darwood’s Wild Bassoon.

SEE NADINA'S EPK
Nadina's bio (250 words - PDF)

WORK WITH ME

I love to create new creative projects with people. New concerti for bassoon and orchestra, including co-commissions and recording projects. Also lessons, discussions and lectures on my crazy career as a creative artist. Also interested in anything involving hands-on projects involving music, art, words, kids, community outreach… I am interested! It all starts with 101 emails, so contact me and let’s get this show on the road!