A Full-Circle Gift: Contrabassoon Finds New Home with the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra

By Eric Dundon

When retired St. Louis Symphony Orchestra bassoonist Felicia Foland talks about the contrabassoon she recently donated to the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra (YO), she speaks less about the instrument itself than about the journey it represents—one that mirrors her own path as a young musician shaped by opportunity, mentorship, and generosity.

Foland’s gift puts a rare instrument into the hands of young players while expanding the artistic possibilities of the ensemble as a whole.

The idea took shape in summer 2025, when Foland joined a task force focused on the future needs of the YO. As discussions turned to the orchestra’s evolving repertoire, one gap became clear.

“We spoke about how the repertoire is expanding greatly,” Foland recalled. “The Youth Orchestra really was without a permanent contrabassoon or a home for a contrabassoon. I thought to myself, ‘well, that’s for me to take care of.’”

Foland’s journey with the bassoon began as a student in Kirkwood, where she participated in the school’s music program before joining the YO in high school. After performing with an ensemble in Mexico, she returned to St. Louis as Second Bassoon of the SLSO, an appointment made by then-Music Director Leonard Slatkin.

Large-scale orchestral works—especially contemporary pieces—often require a contrabassoon, an instrument that sits an octave below the bassoon and anchors the orchestra’s lowest register. Because of its size, cost, and rarity in orchestral instrumentation, it is not something student musicians typically own. Until now, the YO relied on borrowed or rented a contrabassoon, limiting access and practice time for budding bassoonists.

With Foland’s donation, that changes. The contrabassoon, a Mollenhauer make from Germany, now has a permanent home at Powell Hall, where students can study, rehearse, and perform with it regularly.

“It’s a much more immersive experience for all bassoonists,” Foland said.

Alfredo DeLeon, the ensemble’s manager, said building a library of instruments is a strategic priority for the YO.

“Providing the best experience possible for the YO musicians is one of our team’s most important goals,” he said. “Felicia’s donation helps us accomplish exactly that. It’s a huge step towards ensuring that there are no limits to what the YO musicians can achieve, both artistically and educationally, due to what equipment they have access to.”

Other instruments in the YO’s inventory include an English horn, bass clarinet, and an assortment of various percussion instruments. DeLeon said the ensemble is looking to acquire a new set of timpani.

The contrabassoon Foland donated carries a story uniquely tied to St. Louis. Foland purchased it new in 1981 at the start of her professional career. Years later, she sold it to a local musician and teacher who loaned it to students—some of whom played in the YO. Decades later, Foland reacquired the contrabassoon, delighted to place it back into the community that helped shape her career.

“If it could speak, it would have quite a journey,” she said of the instrument. “I think it’s super sweet that it’s back here again.”

For Foland, quality matters.

“I think young people playing in the Youth Orchestra should have really good equipment so that their experience of playing is all the more elevated and satisfying to them,” she said.

The donation also aligns with the YO’s philosophy of artistic innovation. Under Samuel Hollister, The Fred M. Saigh Youth Orchestra Music Director, the ensemble regularly tackles demanding works that treat young musicians as capable artists.

“The ask and the demands are at the absolute top level,” Foland said. “They’re not saying, ‘Young people can’t play this yet.’”

For example, the contrabassoon will figure prominently in the YO’s March 29 concert at Powell Hall during performances of Gustav Holst’s The Planets. The contrabassoon anchors the menacing bass sound in the opening movement—“Mars, the Bringer of War”— and adds solemnity in the fifth movement, “Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age.”

That belief in young musicians resonates deeply with Foland’s own memories of the YO, where she first experienced what it meant to be supported by a musical community.

“I got to experience generosity very early on,” she said, recalling volunteer support and formative touring experiences.

Now retired from the SLSO, Foland sees the donation with both gratitude and responsibility.

“When a chance came for me to fulfill a wish list item for the YO, it was easy for me to feel motivated,” she said. “It certainly is my honor to do so.”

Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.