Reed Information:

Stéphane Lévesque uses this custom profile with the Thunemann shape and Donati cane. This profile works best when the top of the first wire is placed at 27mm from the butt end of the cane (26mm also works if a higher pitch is desired), the second wire 8mm below the first, and the tip is clipped at 30mm from the top of the first wire. The total reed length should not be more than 57mm or less than 55mm.

About Stéphane Lévesque:

Born in Montréal, Stéphane Lévesque has held the position of principal bassoon with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) since 1998. He has held principal positions with Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and has performed as guest principal bassoon with the Mito Chamber Orchestra and the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Japan. He was also a member of the New World Symphony and took part in the Solti Orchestral Project at Carnegie Hall.

Mr. Lévesque has appeared as soloist on several occasions with the OSM, as well as with ensembles including the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the New World Symphony, Les Violons du Roy, and the U.S. Army Orchestra. He has been featured as soloist, recitalist and clinician at numerous IDRS conferences and was the co-host of the 2002 IDRS conference in Banff. 

Assistant Professor of bassoon at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, Mr Lévesque has given master classes in numerous institutions throughout the world, including the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, the Curtis Institute of Music, the Glenn Gould School, the National School of Music (UNAM) in Mexico City, the Conservatoriums in Adelaide and Sydney in Australia, the Conservatoire supérieur de musique de Lyon in France, and the Hautes Écoles de Musique in Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland. He is also on the coordinator and bassoon faculty of the summer Orford Winds Workshop.

Stéphane Lévesque graduated from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, where he studied with Rodolfo Masella. He also received a Master’s degree from the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Stephen Maxym and Frank Morelli.