Bridget Allaire-Mäki

American born bassoon player who lives in Finland. She start playing bassoon at the age of 17. After studies with Willard Elliot at Norhtwestern University (Evanston, IL, USA) and Otto Eifert at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (Cincinnati, OH, USA) she went on to study with Roger Birnstingl at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève (Genève, Switzerland), and also played in the Lyon Opera Orchestra under John Eliot Gardiner. In 1987 Bridget moved to Finland and became a founding member of the Tapiola Sinfonietta where she continues to perform today. Bridget Allaire-Mäki also has a wide range of experience as a soloist and chamber musician, both in Europe and abroad. She is also a member of the Viento Quintet. Allaire-Mäki received The Finnish Cultural Foundation scholarship in 2005.