Mission

The mission of the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition is to provide an international, competition of the highest caliber for young bassoonists in the Americas who are cis women, trans women, or non-binary individuals who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women. By participating in the competition these individuals will build their confidence, hone their talents, and receive valuable experience towards performance careers. The organization will provide financial support, performance experience, artistic reinforcement, and inspiration through mentorship with world-class professionals. Each competition will feature a required repertoire piece by a living woman composer, and will require speaking to the audience in order to cultivate in the young competitors a commitment to audience engagement and community involvement in the arts.

The name of the competition derives from the rich legacy of composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), who spent much of his prolific career working at a conservatory for young girls, the Seminario Musicale dell’Ospitale della Pietá in Venice. The spirit of creativity and benefaction of this competition is dedicated to Meg Quigley, an artist who had a passion for assisting young womxn in realizing their full potential.

The Meg Quigley Bassoon Symposium is a multi-day event of concerts, master classes, workshops, live competition rounds, and other events. The Symposium is meant to be an inclusive and congenial atmosphere of learning and inspiration built around a world-class competition. We prioritize providing a balanced representation of identities including gender, race, culture, age, and career trajectory in our selection of performers, presenters, and judges.

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