Alanna Pennar-Macfarlane is a bassoonist originally from Clackmannanshire, Scotland. She started out as a clarinet player, before taking up the bassoon as a teenager and studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Juniors under Janet Bloxwich.
Her passion for ensemble playing led her to the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied with John Orford and Robin O’Neill, graduating with first-class honours. She then went on to her postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music with Julie Price, Joost Bosdijk and Sarah Burnett.
Since graduating, Alanna has performed with leading orchestras including the Royal Opera House, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia. Now based in Cardiff, she freelances, teaches, and runs a small business supporting Welsh language learners after learning Welsh herself during the pandemic. In her free time, she enjoys board games, travel, and spending time with her cat.
