Obituary: Miriam Gussek

Born in Nordhorn, Germany, Miriam began her bassoon studies in Würzburg and Mannheim, where she also studied piano, and completed her studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich.

Miriam trained as a member of the academies of both the Freiburg and Munich Radio Symphony Orchestras and was appointed Principal Bassoon of the Chemnitz Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002, followed by the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra in 2010. In 2012 she joined the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, as Section Principal Bassoon.

Miriam performed as guest principal with many leading German orchestras and was also an active chamber musician, creating and supervising a series of concerts for multimedia chamber music at the Chemnitz Opera House, and performing with various German chamber music ensembles. She made also several appearances as a bassoon soloist and played solo recitals all over Germany.

Her performances were widely recorded for Radio (SWR, BR, WDR, BBC), TV and CD/DVD productions throughout Europe.

Richard Benjafield, Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion, writes: 

“Miriam’s teaching was inspirational and motivating to all of her students, whether in lessons or her classes, which were always memorable. There are many treasured memories of her wisdom, wit and utter devotion to guiding her students towards successful careers. Her death comes tragically early, and we will all miss her deeply.”