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Woodwinds · 156 verified programs with a bassoon pathway

Bassoon: degrees, diplomas and programs

Bassoon study pairs double-reed craft with orchestral and chamber training on a low woodwind that serves both as a bass voice and a lyrical solo instrument.

Also called: Fagott, Basson, Fagotto, Fagot, Fagot (Spanish).

What the listings below mean

A program is listed for bassoon only where its official page names the instrument in the title, as a major, or as a formal principal-study pathway. These are formal degree, diploma or certificate pathways; the page says which. An instrument taught in private lessons, or a teacher on the faculty, does not create a listing.

85 Bachelor’s · 57 Master’s · 8 Diploma · 3 Practice doctorate · 3 Certificate · 5 formal principal-study pathway, 123 named major, 28 named in the program title

156 programs

How results are ordered: alphabetically by institution, or by most recently checked when you choose that sort. There is no price ranking, because tuition in different currencies, fee categories and bases (per year, per credit, whole program) is not comparable. A program appears under a subject only through a verified link (dedicated degree, major, concentration or documented pathway). A value we could not verify is shown as “not published”, never as “no”. Items marked Sponsored are paid placements; they never change verification or order. Online programs are not counted as physically located in a state or city, and an institution’s location does not tell you whether it enrols students from your country.

Published bassoon audition repertoire

Copied from each program’s own admissions page. Requirements are specific to the program and intake: follow the link and check the current year.

  • University of Iowa: Bachelor of Music (BM)
    • Prescreening | No prescreening is required. | Preparation requirements | Candidates should prepare three contrasting selections that highlight their strengths and musicality. We encourage you to choose pieces you truly enjoy playing—music that best reflects who you are as a musician. The audition will be in a lesson-style format and will last about 30 minutes. | Time requirement | Audition materials should be thoroughly prepared and approximately 20 to 30 minutes in length. | Accompaniment | No accompaniment is required. | Technical requirements | One etude showing the applicant's level of technical and musical ability. | Repertoire | There is no required repertoire. Applicants are encouraged to choose a varied program that showcases both their strengths and their musical personality. Select music that you feel best represents you as a performer. You are welcome to mix standard repertoire with personal favorites. If you would like guidance or repertoire suggestions, please contact Professor Benjamin Coelho.
  • Lawrence University: Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.)
    • Two contrasting selections from the étude or solo repertoire (individual movements allowed) | One selection in any format that best represents your individual artistry, skills, or interests (ex: excerpt, original composition, favorite piece, improvisation, etc.) | The following scales, ascending and descending: | Three-octave chromatic scale, slurred, at a tempo of your choosing | Two-octave A major, slurred 8th notes, quarter note = 120 | Two-octave G harmonic minor, slurred 8th notes, quarter note = 120 | Sight-reading may be requested during live auditions | An introductory video is required for recorded auditions
  • DePaul University: Bachelor of Music
    • ​We encourage all applicants to audition in person if possible. Register for a live audition by January 15. | Audition Repertoire | A solo of your choice (choose one movement of a multi-movement work) | A contrasting etude
  • Cleveland Institute of Music: Bachelor of Music
    • Bassoon: Audition Requirements Undergraduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) Milde Scale or Arpeggio etude Solo piece selected by the student Graduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) A major concerto; e.g., Mozart, Hummel, or Weber Selected contrasting orchestral excerpts
  • Cleveland Institute of Music: Master of Music
    • Bassoon: Audition Requirements Undergraduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) Milde Scale or Arpeggio etude Solo piece selected by the student Graduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) A major concerto; e.g., Mozart, Hummel, or Weber Selected contrasting orchestral excerpts
  • Cleveland Institute of Music: Graduate Diploma
    • Bassoon: Audition Requirements Undergraduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) Milde Scale or Arpeggio etude Solo piece selected by the student Graduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) A major concerto; e.g., Mozart, Hummel, or Weber Selected contrasting orchestral excerpts
  • Cleveland Institute of Music: Artist Diploma
    • Bassoon: Audition Requirements Undergraduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) Milde Scale or Arpeggio etude Solo piece selected by the student Graduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) A major concerto; e.g., Mozart, Hummel, or Weber Selected contrasting orchestral excerpts
  • Cleveland Institute of Music: Artist Certificate
    • Bassoon: Audition Requirements Undergraduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) Milde Scale or Arpeggio etude Solo piece selected by the student Graduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) A major concerto; e.g., Mozart, Hummel, or Weber Selected contrasting orchestral excerpts
  • Cleveland Institute of Music: Doctor of Musical Arts
    • Bassoon: Audition Requirements Undergraduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) Milde Scale or Arpeggio etude Solo piece selected by the student Graduate: Major and harmonic minor scales (not required on video recording) A major concerto; e.g., Mozart, Hummel, or Weber Selected contrasting orchestral excerpts
  • DePaul University: Master of Music
    • We encourage all applicants to audition in person if possible. Register for a live audition by January 15. | Audition Repertoire | Mozart Concerto, Movements I and II | Étude of your choice | Two contrasting orchestral excerpts
  • Northwestern University: Bachelor of Music
    • Audition dates: | Early Decision: November 20 | Regular Decision: February 6 & 13 | For Final Audition: | Solo Selections: | Choose exposition sections from two works or movements that are contrasting in style or time period. | NOTE: Listed repertoire is not required; any pieces of commensurate difficulty will be accepted. Two contrasting movements from the following compositions are also acceptable, but other works of commensurate difficulty are welcome. | Suggested solos: | Milde, étude from Concert Studies Book 1 | Mozart, Concerto K.191, first and second movements | Weber, Concerto Op. 75, first and second movements | Orchestral Excerpts: | Two contrasting orchestral excerpts of the applicant's choice | In addition: in-person auditionees should be prepared to play all major and harmonic-minor scales up to high C.
  • Northwestern University: Master of Music
    • Audition dates: | February 6 & 13 | For Final Audition: | Solo Selections: | Choose exposition sections from two works or movements that are contrasting in style or time period. | NOTE: Listed repertoire is not required; any pieces of commensurate difficulty will be accepted. Two contrasting movements from the following compositions are also acceptable. | Suggested solos: | Milde, étude from Concert Studies Book 2 | Mozart, Concerto K.191, first and second movements | Saint-Saëns, Sonata, first and second movements | Vivaldi, any concerto, first and third movements | Orchestral Excerpts: | Three contrasting orchestral excerpts of the applicant's choice | NOTE: Listed repertoire is not required; any pieces of commensurate difficulty will be accepted. | Suggested orchestral excerpts: | Ravel, Boléro (solo) | Stravinsky, Le sacre du printemps , opening and recapitulation on C-flat | Mozart, Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro, opening and recapitulation (eighth-note passages) | Beethoven, Symphony No. 4, fourth movement (sixteenth-note passages) | Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4, end of second movement | In addition: please be prepared to play a selection of major and harmonic-minor scales and major and minor arpeggios.

About bassoon study

The bassoon is a large double-reed woodwind with a long conical bore folded back on itself, played with a crook and a bocal-mounted reed. Degree-level students develop breath control, embouchure, finger technique across a complex key system, and a sound that can range from lyrical to comic. Like the oboe, the bassoon requires reed making, and many students learn to prepare their own reeds under a teacher's guidance.

Orchestral work is often a primary goal, as the bassoon is a fixture of the orchestral woodwind section and the harmonic bass of the wind quintet. Chamber music, wind ensemble and band playing are common, and some students also take the contrabassoon, which is required in larger orchestral works. The solo repertoire includes concertos and sonatas from the baroque onward, and historical performance programs may teach the baroque bassoon or the dulcian.

Typical degree contexts include the Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance, the Master of Music, and practice doctorates such as the Doctor of Musical Arts. Because the number of bassoonists in any given conservatory is small, they are often highly sought for ensembles, which can affect scholarship and placement. Some programs share one teacher between bassoon and other double reeds, though bassoon remains its own principal study.

What study typically involves

  • Bassoon technique, fingering and tone production
  • Reed making and reed adjustment
  • Solo repertoire, sonatas and concertos
  • Orchestral excerpts and section playing
  • Wind quintet and other chamber music
  • Contrabassoon in many programs
  • Sight-reading in bass and tenor clefs, ear training and theory
  • Baroque bassoon and pedagogy in some programs

Award titles. Bassoon study leads to a Bachelor of Music or BMus and a Master of Music or MMus, among other regional awards. Some conservatories offer an Artist Diploma or a graduate or postgraduate diploma at advanced level, which are diploma-level awards and not master's degrees. The Doctor of Musical Arts is a practice doctorate. Names vary by country, and no equivalence claims are made here.

This directory lists a program under bassoon only when its official page names the instrument in the title, as a major, or as a formal principal-study option. A private teacher or a faculty bassoonist does not count. Not every school offers bassoon as a degree specialization, and some admit double-reed players only in limited numbers.

Auditions and admissions guidance

General orientation only. Each program publishes its own repertoire, format and deadlines; this directory cannot guarantee acceptance.

Bassoon auditions are normally live, sometimes preceded by a recorded prescreening. Applicants commonly play contrasting works, scales and etudes, and for graduate entry may add orchestral excerpts. Panels pay attention to reed quality, intonation and the ability to read tenor clef as well as bass clef.

An accompanist is often needed for sonatas and concertos, and provision varies. Sight-reading, theory and aural tests, and brief interviews, are typical. Because bassoonists are relatively few, schools sometimes consider potential as well as current level, but this differs by program.

Each program publishes its own repertoire and format, and these change by year, so check current-year requirements for each school. Nothing here guarantees admission.

See also preparing for auditions and prescreening vs final auditions.

Costs and funding

Bassoonists are in demand for orchestras and wind ensembles, and programs may offer scholarships on that basis. Graduate students could be considered for assistantships such as reed-making instruction, sectional coaching or teaching non-majors, depending on the school.

Funding differs by institution, country and year, and many students receive partial or no support. Ask each department what is available.

Costs beyond tuition. Bassoonists may face high costs for instrument purchase or rental, since professional bassoons are expensive, plus reeds or cane and reed tools, a bocal, seat strap or harness, and regular maintenance. Contrabassoon access can be an extra consideration. Accompanist fees and audition travel are other possibilities.