Anna's Bassoon for Manhattan School of Music Study

Hello! My name is Anna Zhang, and I am a passionate bassoonist currently living in Philadelphia. Starting this Fall, I will have the honor of pursuing my Bachelor in Music at the renowned Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship and studying under the tutelage of William Short - Principal Bassoon of The Metropolitan Opera.

I started learning the bassoon in 2019 and classical music immediately became my greatest passion. Since then, I have had the privilege to study with Daniel Matsukawa - Principal Bassoon of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Rick Barrantes - faculty at Temple University Music Prep and The Music School of Delaware. I am also part of The Philadelphia Orchestra All-City Fellowship, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Settlement Music School, Project 440, and Temple Music Preparatory. However, I face a major obstacle on my journey to attend college: I do not have my own instrument. I have been playing with an instrument from The School District of Philadelphia, and I have to return it before I graduate in 5 days. In order to pursue my dream of continue playing the bassoon and majoring in music, I need to purchase a high-quality instrument of my own.

Good quality bassoons are expensive and cost anywhere from $15k to $60k. After careful consultation with my teachers, we have chosen a used Fox bassoon that costs approximately $13k. I am incredibly grateful to have been awarded a generous grants from The Philadelphia Orchestra All-City Fellowship, but I am still $7k short of being able to purchase the instrument I need. My mother is a single parent who works at a senior daycare, and we have always faced financial challenges as immigrants in this country. Gratefully, I have been fortunate in the last three years to receive support from organizations such as PMAY Artists' Initiative and The Philadelphia Orchestra All-City Fellowship to get funding to develop my professional career. This made me the musician I am today and enabled me to get a full scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music - something that I could only dream of in the past.

That's why I am asking for your help today. Any donation would be incredibly meaningful and valuable to me, getting me closer to realizing my dream of becoming a professional bassoonist. Thank you so much for reading this and supporting my musical journey!