Sarah Tako

Bassoonist Sarah Tako from Stillwater, Minnesota, just completed her undergraduate studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She most recently won the top prize in the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Bassoon Competition, held at the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles, California. Tako has substituted in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as with the Minnesota Orchestra. An active chamber player, Tako recently performed with The Jupiter Symphony in New York City. She also recently substituted for second bassoon in the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and also with the Pennsylvania Ballet.

Sarah has soloed with the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra, and the Edmonton Symphony in Alberta, Canada as a part of their "Masterful Mozart" concert series. She has performed in master classes with esteemed bassoonist including Frank Morelli, Per Hanevold, Nancy Goeres, William Winstead, Richard Svoboda, and her former teacher, John Miller.

Sarah has also performed on Minnesota Public Radio as a part of the "Minnesota Varsity" music competition, of which she was a finalist and showcase artist. As a finalist, she also performed at the Fitzgerald Theater, home of "A Prairie Home Companion" in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Tako has also performed live on American Public Media's "Performance Today", where she performed a newly commissioned woodwind quintet.

While living in Philadelphia, Sarah performed regularly as principal bassoon of Symphony in C in New Jersey. Currently, she is freelancing and pursuing her love of craft cocktails while bartending at The Alchemist, a craft cocktail bar in White Bear Lake.