Brooke Valley Bassoon Days
August 10 – 16, 2026
Brooke Valley Bassoon Days continues its second decade!
2026 Brooke Valley Bassoon Days
Otty Lake, near Perth, Ontario, Canada
International Bassoon Retreat for Players of
All Abilities
Welcome to BVBD 2026!
This is our fifth year at Camp Shomria, and as you know if you were with us last year, our location has everything we need—an open dock and lakefront included! (Speaking of swimming, are you lifeguard certified? We’re hiring!)
Last year, 2025, saw another great session at Camp Shomria—our biggest yet—including the continuing growth of our historical bassoon program. It all got high praise: the facility, the staff, and our wonderful faculty. As always, Shomria means plenty of room to make a racket, rehearse the Rackett, or even bat around a racquet during recreation if that’s your thing.
Once again, we’ll have the whole place to ourselves for the week. And, like in past seasons, we’ll go from a Monday to a Sunday, with our final concert on August 16th at 11 am.
A week at Brooke Valley Bassoon Days includes:
- accommodation in dormitory-style cabins
- socialising and networking over 3 delicious, healthy meals/day plus one evening snack/day.
- small group scales, warm ups and fundamental sessions with a coach
- small ensemble rehearsals with a coach
- masterclasses
- private lesson
- Reed making and adjusting in the Reed Room
- “Rackett of Bassoons”
- recreation (swimming, hiking, basketball, volleyball, boating, bonfires, and more.)
- participation in the end-of-session concert in front of a live and a virtual audience.
- faculty concert
- a guided mindfulness session
- stargazing
2025 Brooke Valley Bassoon Days
Otty Lake, near Perth, Ontario, Canada
International Bassoon Retreat for Players of All Abilities
Welcome to BVBD 2025!
This is our fourth year at Camp Shomria, and as you know if you were with us last year, our location has everything we need—an open dock and lakefront included! (Speaking of swimming, are you lifeguard certified? We’re hiring!)
Last year, 2024, saw another great session at Camp Shomria—our biggest yet—including the exciting inauguration of our historical bassoon program. It all got high praise: the facility, the staff, and our wonderful faculty. As always, Shomria means plenty of room to make a racket, rehearse the Rackett, or even bat around a racquet during recreation if that’s your thing.
Once again, we’ll have the whole place to ourselves for the week. And, like in 2024, we’ll go from a Monday to a Sunday, with our final concert on August 17th at 11 am.
Typical hybrid Brooke Valley Bassoon Days includes:
- small group scales, warm ups and fundamental sessions with a coach
- guided yoga and mindfulness sessions
- masterclasses daily
- private lessons
- webinars with outstanding Canadian and international bassoonists on a wide variety of bassoon related topics
- Let’s make reeds together!
- hybrid virtual and in-person “Rackett of Bassoons”
- faculty concert
All activities will be available for full participation online except the following, which will be in person only:
- small ensemble rehearsals with a coach
- recreation (swimming, hiking, boating, bonfires etc)
- socializing over great meals
- stargazing
First-time visitor? Want to know more about BVBD?
Check out our 2-minute video!
Brooke Valley Bassoon Days salutes the many individuals, as well as these organizations, businesses and institutions, for their generous support of the Paul Buttemer Scholarship Fund and for their ongoing help in other important ways:
