Susan Nigro


Susan L. Nigro is an American contrabassoonist. Unlike most players of the instrument, Nigro's career is primarily as a solo recitalist and recording artist rather than an orchestral player.

Life

Nigro, a native of Chicago, she graduated from Northwestern University, with a bachelor's and master's degree, and from Roosevelt University.

Career

She includes in her repertoire such works as the Gunther Schuller and Daniel Dorff concertos for contrabassoon, as well as the Stamitz and Mozart concertos originally written for the bassoon. Nigro has premiered over 30 works since 1988, most of which were commissioned by her. She has given more premieres than any other contrabassoonist.
She has appeared as a soloist with such groups as the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Rome Festival Orchestra, and the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, as well as at multiple conferences of the International Double Reed Society, and performed as a recitalist and given masterclasses at dozens of universities and music festivals.
In addition to her recording and recital careers, Nigro has been the full-time substitute for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra during the 2005-2006 season and again during the seasons 2008-2010. She is also a guest artist with the Northwest Symphony.
She won a Pro Musicis International Career Development Grant,
and Illinois Arts Council grant.

Recordings