Kim Laskowski

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. The first performance I ever attended was the Bolshoi Ballet at the old Metropolitan Opera on West 39th Street. Other memorable performances I attended as kid were Sviatoslav Richter, Vladimir Horowitz, Artur Rubinstein, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix. After studying in NYC and Paris, I returned to NYC and promptly quit playing the bassoon for two years. After I began playing again, I became a freelancer. It took me a good ten years to break in to the business and make any kind of a living. I was a sub and regular in numerous Broadway shows, freelance orchestras and film and radio recording studios. Later in life, I was presented with a set of circumstances and opportunities which lead me to audition for the NY Phil. After two separate audition procedures, six months apart, I won the position of Associate Principal Bassoon at age 48, without holding a symphonic job in a first, second or third tier orchestra. The life of a musician is comprised of many different lives. Mine was a winding path which took many turns, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I enjoyed every minute of each musical experience!