Gustavo Núñez

Gustavo Núñez (born in Montevideo, 15 February 1965) is a Uruguayan bassoonist trained at Musikhochschule Hannover with Klaus Thunemann and the Royal College of Music with Kerry Camden. He has been principal bassoon of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, together with Ronald Karten, since 1995. In Madrid, at the Reina Sofía School of Music, Núñez is referred to as 'el gran profesor de fagot' ('the great professor of bassoon ') in recognition of his expertise and contribution to the field.

He holds a professorship at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf, In addition, he serves as a permanent guest lecturer at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.

Núñez gives masterclasses and has made solo appearances in the US, Canada, various South American countries, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, Australia, South Korea and Japan and is considered to be one of the world's greatest bassoon players.

Early life Gustavo Núñez family is greatly connected to classical music. His grandfather, a clarinetist who emigrated from Spain to Argentina with his five children, passed on his musical legacy, as four of his children, including Gustavo's father, became professional musicians. His father, originally from Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, was a bassoonist with the Orquesta del Sodre in Montevideo, as were Gustavo's grandfather and three brothers. His father was not only a prominent bassoonist but also one of the few bassoon teachers in Venezuela at the time, establishing an influential bassoon program in Latin America.

In 1969, the Núñez family had to move from Uruguay because his father, who was on the blacklist of the Uruguayan intelligence service at the time, refused to perform at the American embassy with his wind quintet as a protest against the Vietnam War, leading to serious consequences for the family.

Núñez has made numerous recordings, showcasing works by composers such as Mozart, Vivaldi, Devienne, Villa-Lobos, and Gubaidulina. His recordings include collaborations with the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

Though based in Europe, Núñez has maintained a strong connection to his native Uruguay. In 1996, he returned to Montevideo for the first time to perform publicly, with a series of concerts at the Palacio Taranco. Since then, he has continued to perform in Uruguay, finding personal fulfilment in these performances and maintaining ties to his homeland.

Instruments Gustavo Núñez plays on two bassoons, both crafted by the renowned German instrument maker Heckel, known for its dominance in the field of bassoon manufacturing. His primary bassoon, acquired in 1987 during his student years, is modeled after the instrument used by his teacher Thunemann, but with a different color. Núñez opted for a dark brown instrument, as opposed to Thunemann's red bassoon. Núñez once said of his instrument: "It's so dark red that you might think it's brown." He further remarked that this bassoon has been a constant companion throughout his career.

His second instrument, also a Heckel and similarly brown, was acquired in 2011 after a five-year wait, which he described as lengthy—though nowadays the wait time for a new Heckel bassoon is even longer, stretching to 15 years.

Although visually identical, Núñez notes subtle differences between the two bassoons, both in playability and tone. Depending on the repertoire, he chooses one instrument over the other. Switching between instruments, however, requires a period of adjustment. "When I switch bassoons, I need to practice on it for days to rediscover my embouchure and to figure out how to get the sound I want," he explained.

Competition record 1987 Geneva International Music Competition, Prix Suisse. 1987 Carl Maria von Weber IBC, 1st prize

Recordings Vivaldi - 6 Bassoon Concertos. Gustavo Núñez, Academy of St Martin in the Fields. PENTATONE PTC 5186539 (2016) The Barber of Neville. Wind concertos by Howard Blake. Sir Neville Marriner, Andrew Marriner, Jaime Martin, Gustavo Núñez, Academy of St Martin in the Fields. PENTATONE PTC 5186506 (2013) Capricho, Bassoon Concertos, Channel Classics Records, 2012 Mozart - Wind Concertos. Jacob Slagter, Emily Beynon, Alexei Ogrintchouk, Henk Rubingh, Gustavo Núñez, Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra. PENTATONE PTC 5186079 (2005) Festliches Barock (1991)