Lynn Giesbrecht first moved to Prince George to play principal bassoon with the PGSO in 1985. While she left the professional core position for other pursuits, Lynn also played many concerts as second bassoon over the years, and is now thrilled to once again be playing principal bassoon.

Like many bassoonists, she came to playing the bassoon somewhat unintentionally. Having played piano and saxophone for several years through high school and CEGEP, the McGill University Faculty of Music found itself short of bassoon players the year she entered. She was offered a year’s worth of free lessons with Richard Hoenich, then principal bassoonist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, an opportunity which her saxophone teacher felt would be “a good double for a bari sax player”. A year later the saxophone was dropped for the bassoon, and there was no turning back.

Over the years, Lynn has enjoyed a wide variety of performing opportunities. She played on Parliament Hill with the Ceremonial Guard Band for three summers, performed with a travelling choir and orchestra in Greece, and attended the Banff Festival of the Arts summer program, studying with Mordechai Rechtman. She had opportunity to play with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada in 1986, enjoying lessons and coaching with Christopher Millard as well as being a part of a group that performed the Haydn Synfonia Concertante that summer.

Lynn is passionate about passing the gift of music on to the next generation. Her musical teaching activities have included teaching piano, recorder and theory as well as Kodaly Music in both French and English for School District 57. She has directed church choirs at the Junior, Youth and Senior levels as well as worked with the vocals and choreography for the King’s Kids through Youth With A Mission. She is currently teaching math and recorder, as well as developing a band program at Westside Academy.

Lynn has been married for over twenty-one years to a wonderful carpenter/contractor. Together they have four children. In her spare time, Lynn enjoys gardening, Facebooking and knitting afghans!