British bassoonist Ashby Mayes studies with Prof. Ole Kristian Dahl at the Hochschule für Musik Mannheim and previously at the Royal College of Music (graduating with First Class Honours). He is generously supported by the Royal Philharmonic Society, Deutsche Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Craxton Memorial Trust. Ashby recently held a temporary contract as Sub-Principal Bassoon with the Pori Sinfonietta in 2022. He has performed with the Helsinki Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony and the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn and as guest Principal with the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, Bath Festival Orchestra and Deutsche Philharmonie Merck. Ashby is a member of the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra 2023 and a reserve member for GMJO. As a soloist, Ashby made his solo debut at Wigmore Hall in 2021 at the RPS Awards, and was a Ryedale Festival Young Artist in 2022. In 2021, he founded MayesMusic, his own music publishing company to sell his arrangements whichare being performed all over the world. Ashby has tutored on the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain and is delighted to be a Senior Lead Ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation. He is proud to be a sponsored Georg Rieger GmbH Artist as well as a RATStands Artist. Throughout his musical career, he intends to make the classical music industry more accessible and to convey his cheeky, yet serious personality. When not playing the bassoon, he enjoys everything tech, playing Spikeball and cycling.

Ashby plays a Heckel 13000 Series Bassoon.