Welcome!

This is the official website of bassoonist Richard Svoboda.

I'm pleased that you have happened upon my website. I have been the principal bassoonist of the Boston Symphony Orchesra and a faculty member at the New England Conservatory for over three decades. If you are interested in finding out more about me and what I do, this is a great place to start.

You might check out my solo CD, "Le Phénix, 18th Century French Music for Bassoon." It's a collection of works I love by early French masters, and features the entire bassoon section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (cerca 2003) on the title track. The Double Reed described it as a "flawless and sophisticated album," and as "an album that will stand out as a testimony to their highest technical standards and enlightened musicianship."

You also might check out my Daily Scale Exercises for the Bassoonist which is a required rite of passage for all of my students. I wrote them because I didn't really like any of the scale studies that I had come across and knew we bassoonists could have something better. These exercises check all the boxes for what I believe a daily scale routine should entail. I've even included a download of the first few pages to get you started.

You'll also find a listing of upcoming performances that may interest the bassoon lover, and information on bygone performances as well. And if you might have an interest in studying with me, there's even a page for that.

Thanks for stopping in. Enjoy!