Martin Kuuskmann (born 21 April 1971) is a 3-time Grammy nominated Estonian-American virtuoso bassoonist. Noted for his performances and recordings spanning an extraordinarily wide range of styles, he has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors.

Biography

Kuuskmann was born in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

, Soviet Union (now Estonia). He studied bassoon in

Tallinn Music High School Tallinn Music High School () was a special music high school in Tallinn, Estonia. History TMHS was founded in 1961 to ensure a sufficient number of quality applicants to the Tallinn State Conservatory (now Estonian Academy of Music and Theatr ...

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

and

Yale School of Music The Yale School of Music (often abbreviated to YSM) is one of the 12 professional schools at Yale University. It offers three graduate degrees: Master of Music (MM), Master of Musical Arts (MMA), and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), as well as a joi ...

. His mentors include Stephen Maxym, Frank Morelli, Rufus Olivier, Vernon Read and Ilmar Aasmets. He is currently a bassoon professor at the Lamont School of Music at

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1864, it has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: D ...

, he has taught at the

(2007-2016) and at the

Mannes School of Music The Mannes School of Music (), originally called the David Mannes Music School and later the Mannes Music School, Mannes College of Music, the Chatham Square Music School, and Mannes College: The New School for Music, is a music conservatory in T ...

Preparatory School (1997-2003) in New York City.Martin Kuuskmann profile
Manhattan School of Music Martin Kuuskmann lives in the Denver area with his wife and their three children.

Discography

* ''The Path of Mantra'' (with Peeter Vähi and Drikung Kagyu monks), 2002 Erdenklang, 21902 * ''Nonstop'' (with Kristjan Randalu), 2010 Estonian Record Productions, 2209 ERP * ''Bassoon Concertos'' (with Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and

Risto Joost Risto Joost (born 22 June 1980) is an Estonian Conducting, conductor and operatic countertenor. Life Born in Tallinn, Joost has been intensively involved with music since the age of six. He attended the special school for music in Tallinn. Fr ...

), 2015 Estonian Record Productions, ERP 8215

References

External links

*
AS Artists Management page about Kuuskmann

Martin Kuuskmann on the website of ERP

Interview with Tigran Arakelyan
Estonian classical bassoonists Tallinn Music High School alumni Manhattan School of Music alumni Yale School of Music alumni Musicians from Tallinn 1971 births Living people 20th-century Estonian musicians 21st-century Estonian musicians {{Estonia-musician-stub