Hayden Mears
bassoon

Hayden Mears discovered his passion for the bassoon in high school when he stumbled upon the instrument in his school’s storage room and hasn’t put it down since. 

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He began learning bassoon under Karen Ruprecht before continuing his tertiary studies at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University with David Mitchell, Associate Principal Bassoonist of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. During his studies, Hayden received 

the 2023 Peter Musson Memorial Prize and the 2024 Joyce Campbell Lloyd Scholarship for Overseas Study. 

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Hayden has performed with the Queensland Youth Symphony, Australian Youth Orchestra, Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Q, and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, he served as Principal Bassoon for the QYS International Tour to Singapore, Austria, and Germany, performing in renowned venues such as Singapore’s Esplanade Concert Hall, Vienna’s Musikverein, and Salzburg’s Mozarteum Great Hall. 

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Hayden has participated in lessons and masterclasses across Europe, including a week-long intensive with world-renowned bassoonist and pedagogue Dag Jensen. He is currently pursuing his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, where he studies under Professor Volker Tessmann.