Contrabass Conversations

Today we're featuring Claus Freudenstein, who is pushing the boundaries of the double bass in some really interesting ways. Claus is innovative on a number of fronts. He joined the world of the bass later in life than many people, and he came to it through heavy metal and the electric bass. This resonates greatly with me because this is the exact same way that I arrived at the bass. Claus has taken this love of heavy metal and channeled it into the Bassmonsters, a bass ensemble that is expanding the repertoire into metal and bringing a whole new audience into the fold. We feature three clips from their first album Classic Meets Rock: Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns & Roses, Creeping Death by Metallica, and Thriller by Michael Jackson. You can find this album on Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes. Claus is looking for a new record label to publish the latest Bassmonsters release. He has some tracks to pass along, so listeners, if you have ideas for a new label for Claus, send him an email and let him know. Claus has also been quite innovative in the world of teaching with his creation and popularization of the mini-bass. We discuss Claus' work in education, his approach to repertoire, arranging and composing, and many other topics. Enjoy!

Trevor Jones and I have done joint clinics in the past, but this is the first one since restarting the podcast, and I figured that it would make sense to put it out this week since we just released our conversation a few days ago. This talk was held at Ravinia's Bennett Gordon Hall as part of the 2016 Chicago Bass Festival, which is an event put on by the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. Michael Cameron of the University of Illinois and Allan Dennis, former double bass professor at the University of Wisconsin and the MYA executive director, were both in the audience, so you'll hear us refer to both of them a couple of times during the talk. I left Curtis off of my list of schools putting out successful auditions, but of course that should be at the top of the list! My mistake. Some of the questions from the audience are kind of hard to hear, you'll get the gist of the question as soon as Trevor and I start talking again. We talk about Don Greene's excellent books on auditioning—all three are highly recommended: Audition Success Performance Success: Performing Your Best Under Pressure Fight Your Fear and Win: Seven Skills for Performing Your Best Under Pressure

Today's episode features double bassist Trevor Jones. It actually amazes me that this is the first time that Trevor has been on the podcast. Trevor kind of does it all: he studied classical bass with Rob Kassinger at DePaul University but got a music education degree as well He has played for years in the rock band Molehill but also maintains a full-time performing schedule as a theater musician, and he has a salaried double bass teaching job at Illinois Wesleyan University as well. About Trevor: Based in Chicago, independent artist Trevor Jones works in a variety of musical settings. He performs with regional orchestras throughout the Midwest including the Elgin Symphony and is a substitute with the Grant Park Orchestra. He has also recorded for Realize Records on Chris Bruni's album Watch Me Burn and Kate Quinby's album Tribute To Water and has co-written and recorded two albums: Tin God and Equinox with his Chicago-based alternative rock group Molehill. Trevor is the upright and electric bassist at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, IL and his credits include Jeff®-Award Winning Musical Hero that was premiered in the Summer of 2012 and reprised in 2014 at Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, FL. For the Glory with music Tony Award® nominee Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel), Battlecry by Paul Bogaev (Aida, Spiderman). and the World Premiere of October Sky. While growing up in Gettysburg, PA Trevor studied double bass with Duane Botterbusch of the Harrisburg Symphony, and continued with Andrew Kohn of the Pittsburgh Opera at West Virginia University. In 2009 he completed his Master's degree at DePaul University where he studied with Rob Kassinger of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. While studying at DePaul, Trevor performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the DePaul Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Cliff Colnot. Trevor earned his Bachelor's degree in Music Education at West Virginia University. Trevor performs with the Chicago-based rock act Molehill. Molehill headlines some of Chicago's most prominent venues and tours throughout the country. Highlights include appearances at CBS Studio Chicago, Metro (Chicago), Summerfest and SXSW. Their song "The Repeating" charted in the Top 10 of the KKBB Speciality Charts in 2015. Trevor has won an ASCAP+ Award for his songwriting for Molehill. Trevor is in demand as an educator in the Chicago area and maintains a studio at Midwest Young Artists , the preeminent youth music program in the Midwest. In addition to teaching at MYA, Trevor is also the Instructor of Double Bass at Illinois Wesleyan University at DePaul University where he teaches String Pedagogy.

Today's podcast featuring a conversation with Peter Tambroni, who was an early guest on the podcast back in 2007 on episode 32. Pete is the author of An Introduction to Bass Playing, which is now in its seventh edition, and is an active bass performer, teacher, and author. You can learn more about Pete on his website petertambroni.com. About Peter: Peter Tambroni received his Master of Music in Double Bass Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign and his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Crane School of Music. He has taught elementary, middle school, and high school strings and is a former faculty member of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. Peter has been an orchestra director in Mannheim School District 83 since 2001. From 1998 – 2005 he taught and coached at the Crane School of Music's summer youth program. In 2006 he was the Mannheim Middle School's PTA Teacher of the year. Peter is an active double bassist performing throughout the Chicago area. He has performed with professional orchestras in New York and Illinois and in 2000 appeared on national television with the Bozo Super Sunday Show. As a writer, he has been published several times in the international journal American String Teacher and on EnergyAddict.com, the website of best-selling author, Jon Gordon. His book, An Introduction to Double Bass Playing, is available at www.lulu.com/tambroni. He also created and maintains the blogs MostlyBass.com and EvolvingEducator.com Peter can reached via email at tambroni AT gmail DOT com

Today we are featuring Adam Ben Ezra, who has exploded onto the double bass scene in recent years with his unique musical voice. Adam combines elements of Arabic music, Latin drumming, American pop, looping, and many other styles to form his own craft. He has become quite popular on YouTube, and his videos are fun and visually compelling. To me, Adam is an example of what I find so exciting about the bass world right now. He's taking the instrument in fascinating new directions, he's pushing the boundaries of technique, and he's changing the very perception of the instrument. I'd also like to welcome back our sponsor Discover Double Bass and let you know about their new double bass scales package. 17 different scale types are covered in all 12 keys, over one and two octaves, along with backing tracks. Geoff Chalmers does an excellent job with these tools, which are clear, concise, and built to benefit your playing regardless of your current level. Look for this course to launch in the next week, and check out Geoff's many other offerings at discoverdoublebass.com/store. We're featuring excerpts from several of Adam's songs: Can't Stop Running Elohima Flamenco ConTraBajo (this video features the woman baking in the background) Dexter Double Bass Projection and Mapping Adam has become well-known for his drum'n'bass technique, which you will hear through all of these excerpts, and he offers a video lesson series on this technique as well as transcriptions of several of his tunes. We have links to these in the show notes, and learn more about Adam's music, tour dates, his upcoming master class project, and much more at adambenezra.com.

Today's guest is jazz bass legend Chuck Israels. We start by covering more familiar topics like meeting Charlie Mingus, playing with Bill Evans, Bill's use of rhythm, the importance of having concrete and specific role models, and then go deep into topics like Balinese wood carving (the time it takes to get good) - not creating your own artistic world without the traditions that preceded you, the perils of the "parallel case", and commonalities among how great artists approach their craft. Chuck has just released a new album on Dot Time Records titled Garden of Delights. We'll be featuring a few clips from the first three tracks of this album: The Skipping Tune, Garden of Delights, and Mingus. I'd also like to welcome back our sponsor Discover Double Bass! Their beginner's course is arranged into 43 sequential HD video lessons arranged into eight chapters that cover everything from choosing your first instrument to the essentials of technique. You can check out this course as well as many other offerings at discoverdoublebass.com/store.

We're featuring National Symphony bassist and Peabody Institute faculty member Ira Gold on today's episode. Ira was one of the very first interview guests for the podcast, and we spread it out over three episodes: 15, 18, and 43. This "round two" interview was conducted almost a decade after the first conversation, and Ira has been incredibly active with all sorts of new projects. In this interview, we talk about physical fitness and how it helps with all aspects of life, making the transition to standing full-time, what Ira listens for on an audition committee, wanting to make music with people who share the same musical values, how being a "curious person" opens yourself up to new experiences in playing, practicing techniques, turning practice into puzzle solving, and many other topics. We also talked about the three summer camps at which he'll be teaching: DCBass Peabody Bass Works Orchestral Bowing Workshop You can learn more about Ira and all his activities on his website. Enjoy!

I'm turning 40 today, the podcast just passed a million downloads, I wrote a chunky blog post that resonated with a lot of people, and I just got back from Cuba. This is a different kind of episode where I share details on where I've been and where I'm headed in many areas of life. If you haven't read the above referenced post, check it out and you'll find links to a lot of what I talk about in this episode. More "regular" episodes to come later this week.

This is an all-music episode of Contrabass Conversations featuring Italian bassist Federico Marchesano and tracks from his recent release on the Solitunes label titled The Inner Bass. The first track, Piggy, features pedal effects and overdubs. We then hear Hakazehe, a traditional Burundi song that features the bass being hit by a wooden stick. We round out the show today with the haunting track Contrabutoh, which becomes true heavy metal at the end. Enjoy these tracks from Federico, and check him out online at federicomarchesano.com. Links: Federico's homepage YouTube example 1 YouTube example 2 Solitunes label Solitunes on Facebook

This is an all-music of Contrabass Conversations featuring jazz bass legend Todd Coolman with some tracks from his new album Collectibles. The Coolman Trifecta is made up of Todd on bass, Bill Cunliffe on piano, and Dennis Mackrel on drums. We featured Todd as an interview guest on the podcast back on episode 137, and Win Hinkle was our guest host for this interview, so be sure to check it out if you haven't in the past. The album will be released May 26th, so this is a sneak preview of what you'll be hearing from Todd. Todd is also he author of The Bottom Line: The Ultimate Bass Line Book, and we have a link to this book in the show notes. We feature three tracks today: New Rhumba Joshua You're My Everything Enjoy these new tracks from the great Todd Coolman!

Today's episode features an interview with the great Bert Turetzky. With nearly 60 years spent championing new works for the contrabass, Bert truly is the father of modern bass playing. Bert has recently released a memoir titled A Different View which chronicles his life spent in music. It delves into his early years growing up in Connecticut, his dreams of becoming a jazz player, his orchestral experiences, teaching at the Hartt School and the University of California San Diego, and it covers in great detail his work as an advocate for the contrabass. We also feature clips from a University of California Television broadcast from 2008 titled Bertram Turetzky and Friends: Music for Contrabass. This program featured solo and chamber works, including four premieres and several pieces that have made Bert famous. The entire program is available on YouTube. Be sure to check out the YouTube video for Bert's wonderful descriptions of these works. Audio used in the podcast: Seven Miscellaneous by Donald Erb Onde (World Premiere) by Salvatore Macchia Inside by Kenneth Gaburo Contrabajissimo (World Premiere) by Astor Piazzolla Links: Bert Turetzky - video interview about A Different View (43 min) Bertram Turetzky and Friends: Music for Contrabass A Different View - memoir by Bertram Turetzky Bert's Wikipedia page

Today's episode features composer, teacher, and bassist Andrés Martín. Andrés has written works recently that have become quite popular in the bass community these past few years, and I've been looking forward to talking with him ever since hearing his music. Andrés is also the composer of Anna's Gift and is currently writing the music for Anna's Promise, the project spearheaded by Barry Green (a former Contrabass Conversations guest) that we featured on episode 189 of the podcast. We'll be playing excerpts from Andrés' music throughout this episode, and we'll start with an excerpt from the second movement of Andres' bass concerto. He's a distinctive and exciting new voice in the world of the bass and has captured the bass world's imagination for sure. Andrés is a great guy and a deep thinker about creativity and the compositional process, and I think that you'll learn a lot about inspiration and the composer mind from this discussion. Tracks featured: Bass Concerto No. 1 (excerpts from movements 2 and 3) Suite Para Contrabajo Y Guitarra Española (2009) III. Milongitana 43 by Andrés Martín and Donovan Stokes (excerpts from movement 2 and movement 3) Elegia Para Contrabajo Solo (2011) Andrés Martín solo CD Cera andresmartin.net About Andrés: Native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, bassist, arranger, and composer Andrés Martín has performed with orchestras and chamber ensembles in Argentina, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, England, Germany and United States. Since his arrival in Tijuana (Mexico), Andrés has been immersed in teaching as well as performing as a soloist and chamber musician. He is a member of the "Orquesta de Baja California" and "Cuatro para Tango", a chamber ensemble with whom he has released four recordings. He also organizes and directs "Contrabajos de Baja California A.C. ", a Double Bass academy who celebrates an international double bass festival and chamber music course held in Tijuana every summer. As a composer and arranger, he works with a wide language which ranges from contemporary techniques to tango and rock. His work has been performed and recorded by very successful orchestras, ensembles, and soloists in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan and the United States.

We are featuring double bassist Gaelen McCormick on today's episode. Gaelen is a member of the Rochester Philharmonic, teaches at Nazareth College and the Eastman Community Music School and is the author of Mastering the Bow, a two-part series for bass. Part one is based on the violin studies of Franz Wohlfahrt, and part two features off-the-strings strokes. We had a wonderful conversation about her early years in music, studying with Jeff Turner for graduate school (and you can listen to Jeff on the podcast—he was a guest back on episode 26), structuring practice time, the George Vance Progressive Repertoire series, and many other topics. Before and after the interview, we feature Gaelen and Ed Paulsen performing a couple of Dave Anderson's wonderful duets, and you can check out our interview with Dave on episode 75 of the podcast. About Gaelen: Ms. McCormick has been a member of the Rochester Philharmonic's bass section since 1995. Before joining the RPO, she held positions with regional orchestras such as the Erie (PA) Philharmonic, the Binghamton Philharmonic and the Albany Symphony. Ms. McCormick has performed regularly with other major orchestras, including the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Syracuse Symphony. She holds degrees in performance from the Eastman School and Carnegie Mellon University. Teaching the double bass to students of all ages has become a significant part of Gaelen's life. She joined the faculty of Nazareth College in 2010, and has been the bass instructor for the Eastman Community Music School since 2001. She enjoys working with talented high school aged string players in the summer at Eastman's Music Horizons program where she teaches chamber music and gives bass lessons. In 2003, she was invited to teach for the year at Duquesne University's City Music Center, a program for talented, pre-college students. Gaelen has given masterclasses and recitals at Ithaca College, Williams College, the College of St. Rose, and Roberts Wesleyan College. In 2013, she gave classes on double bass technique at both the International Society of Bassists convention in Rochester and the NYSSMA Winter Conference. "Mastering the Bow", the first of three books on double bass bow technique, was published by Carl Fischer in 2013, and the second will be published during the 2014 season. Playing chamber music has been a passion for Ms. McCormick. Before moving to Rochester, she often performed with the St. Cecilia Chamber Orchestra (Albany, NY) as their sole bassist. During her tenure in Pittsburgh, she became the founding bassist of the Pittsburgh Live Music Chamber Orchestra. She was the founding member of the innovative string quintet "Gibbs and Main", and recorded a cd of tango standards with them, and commissioned a new work for the ensemble by Judd Greenstein. In recent summers, she has been performing with the Music in the Mountains chamber orchestra, a festival based in Durango, Colorado. She is frequently invited to play chamber music with musicians from around the country in festivals such as the Roycroft Chamber Music Festival and the Syracuse New Music Ensemble. This summer, Ms. McCormick will make her debut appearance at the Canandaigua Lake Chamber Music Festival. Gaelen has been involved in volunteering and arts advocacy, and is proud to be the representative for the RPO in the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians. She is honored to be a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda, groups recognizing and supporting excellence in the humanities and in music specifically. In her spare time, Gaelen enjoys kayaking, Argentine tango and West Coast swing dancing, and spending time with her toddler Clara.

Inez Wyrick has been a huge name in bass pedagogy for decades. She really is one of those teachers that I think we all aspire to be like—she can take a student at any level and develop their technique while also instilling in them a passion for making music of all sorts. Today's conversation with Inez is a journey through the topics of education, inspiration, the development of bass teaching from the "dark ages" to the embarrassment of riches that we have today and the thoughts and perspectives of a truly beautiful human being. You're going to learn a lot and come away with a bunch of new ideas about teaching, and I'm sure that you'll feel rejuvenated and inspired by Inez's passion and energy. After the interview, we feature listener feedback and some upcoming plans for the podcast, and before we get going with our interview we will feature a clip of Inez conducting the Orchestra of Lady Bassists from the 2013 ISB convention. Kristin Korb was the current president of the ISB when this was recorded, and she makes some introductory remarks (Kristin was also a podcast guest on episode 79), and we have a ink in the show notes to this complete video, which you should definitely check out. About Inez: Former International Society of Bassists Board Member Inez Wyrick currently resides in Winchester, Virginia where she is adjunct instructor of bass at Shenandoah Conservatory, maintains a private bass studio She perviously edited the young bass page of Bass World and serves on the board of directors for the Bass Coalition. Mrs. Wyrick is an internationally acclaimed pedagogue who specializes in pre-college string education and has numerous publications to her credit. An active lecturer, clinician and traveling "911 bass teacher," she is a regular clinician at the Richard Davis Bass Conference in Madison, WI and the Golden Gate Bass Camp in San Francisco, CA. Previously, she has been on the faculties of Indiana University String Academy, Amarillo College, Odessa College and Texas Tech University Orchestra Camp and was founder of the Amarillo Bass Base, a bass ensemble which held an international reputation. Her students teach and hold professional positions in ensembles and educational institutions worldwide. Her arrangements and compositions for bass ensemble have been performed worldwide and her CD-ROM of bass ensembles entitled Music for Double Bass Ensemble, Vol. I: 30 Christmas Carols for "Same Level" and "Mixed Level" Double Bass Ensemble was released in 2005. She has over 300 heterogenous bass ensembles for all levels, and varieties of levels. Email for a complete, graded, inventory. In 2001 she was the honored recipient of the "Young Bassists Ambassador" award from the International Society of Bassists. She is married to fellow bassist Dr. Donovan Stokes.

This episode from the archives features an interview that Barry Lieberman did with Gary Karr. In preparation for it, Barry listened to all of Gary Karr's recordings and picked out his very favorite, and he and Gary listen to these and discuss the context behind them. It's a fascinating window into this great artist, and it's well worth a listen. This was originally released in 2008 on episode 89 of the podcast. There is a video version of this episode as well. About Gary Karr: Gary Karr, acclaimed as "the world's leading solo bassist" (Time Magazine), is, in fact, the first solo double bassist in history to make that pursuit a full-time career. It is a career that adds new lustre to his already lustrous 1611 Amati doublebass which was given to him by the widow of Serge Koussevitzky. Since his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in 1962, Karr has performed as soloist on six continents with orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Simon Bolivar Orchestra (Caracas, Venezuela), Jerusalem Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and with all the major orchestras of Australia. On Italian cable, three Karr doublebass recitals reached 20 million classical music lovers. The numerous CDs that Gary Karr has recorded and released in Japan are "top of the recording charts" favorites in the Far East. The BBC has featured two video films of Karr, one an illumination of his life and music (Amazing Bass) and one a series for children. On his third recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, Karr performed the Concerto for Bass by John Downey. CBS Sunday Morning celebrated Gary Karr's career and the University of Wisconsin has released a video demonstrating his instructional approach to the doublebass (BASSically Karr) in addition to a special video concert for children (Karrtunes). One of Karr's proudest achievements is the Bronze Medal he received from the Rosa Ponselle Foundation which recognizes him as an outstanding lyrical musician. Gary is the proud holder of the 1997 Artist/Teacher of the Year Award from the American String Teacher's Association (ASTA). He also holds the Distinguished Achievement Award (1995) from the International Society of Bassists (ISB). Gary Karr participated in the Bi-Annual Rainforest Concert in Carnegie Hall with fellow-bassist Sting, Stevie Wonder and others in 1997. In 1999 a new book by Claude Kenneson, entitled Musical Prodigies -- Perilous Journeys, Remarkable Lives was released by Amadeus Press, which includes a passage describing Karr's early love affair with the doublebass. In June 2001, Gary Karr played his farewell public concert as part of the International Society of Bassists 2001 Convention in Indianapolis. A large audience that included eight hundred bassists from twenty-seven different countries attended this event. At the close of this recital with his pianist, Harmon Lewis, Karr was given the ISB's Distinguished Teacher Award. He was also presented with a very special gift from more than two hundred of his colleagues and fans…a newly developed rose named in his honor to commemorate his forty years on the international concert stage.

Today's episode features double bassist, author, conductor, and educator Michael Klinghoffer. Michael is a former Gary Karr student and is the author of the unorthodox and compelling book Mr. Karr, Would You Teach Me How to Drive a Double Bass? Michael is one of the most interesting minds in the world of contemporary double bass. In addition to his book, he has a wealth of articles, videos, and resources on is website pertaining to bass, musicianship, education, and numerous other topics. We talk about his first encounters with Gary Karr, the impetus behind writing his book, how not to hold the bass and bow, and integrating performance, conducting and composition, and where education is going in the near future. This conversation is a deep philosophical dive into technical and mental aspects of musical practice, thought, and development. We'll feature two selections from Michael's album Mostly Transcriptions Vol. 2. We open the episode with an excerpt from the first movement of Mendelssohn's Sonata No. 1 in Bb Major, and conclude with the final movement of Strauss' Sonata in F Major. This album, along with Drive a Double Bass and an interesting solfege book titled The Bottesini Project. Check out the following links from Michael--they contain a wealth of useful content on a variety of topics): Videos that demonstrate techniques covered in Drive a Double Bass Videos about Innovation Michael's YouTube channel Article: Excellence in the Age of Ratings other articles from Michael About Michael: Michael Klinghoffer (Hebrew: מיכאל קלינגהופר), Author of Mr. Karr, Would You Teach Me How to Drive a Double Bass?, Dean of Performing Arts and Senior Lecturer of Double Bass at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, Israel. Michael Klinghoffer, double bass performer, conductor and educator studied under Gary Karr at Yale University, where he received Master of Music and at the Hartt School University of Hartford, where he received his Doctor of Musical Arts. He has been assistant principal bass player in the Israel Symphony Orchestra and in the Israel Sinfonietta. Currently, he performs solo concerts, recitals and chamber music and conducts master classes in Israel and abroad. His repertoire ranges from contemporary Israel music, (much of it composed for him), to his own arrangements for double bass, which have been published in the U.S. and in Europe and recorded on two compact discs. He has published articles on Music Education and on Pedagogy in Israel professional periodicals as well as in the U.S. "Music Education in Institutions of Non Formal Education" was published by MATAN in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Education. Since 1987, he has been on the faculty of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, conducting orchestras, teaching the double bass and other subjects. He was the Head of the String Department, the Dean of Students and he is currently serving as the Dean of Performing Arts and is the Direcor of the Jerusalem Consevatory Chamber Orchetsra. Along with his academic commitments and performing engagements, and after being Music Director for seven years at MATAN, (Arts and Culture Project for Youth), Dr. Klinghoffer still devotes much time and energy to working with young musicians from diverse backgrounds all over Israel.

Today's episode features double bassist David Murray. David is on faculty at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has been on the board of the International Society of Bassists for past two decades. The former winner of the ISB solo competition, David is known around the world as a soloist and clinician. He is also a member of the Bad Boyz of Bass, a quartet rounded out by Volkan Orhon, Anthony Stoops (a former Contrabass Conversations guest), and Paul Sharpe. We actually featured the Bad Boyz on episode 71 of the podcast back in 2008, which is well worth a listen if you haven't checked it out before! We talk about David's experiences having Gary Karr as his first bass teacher, where the "Karr sound" came from, focusing on bow technique, the spirit of Koussevitzky, his long relationship with the International Society of Bassists as a former competition winner and longtime board member, traveling with a bass, and several other topics. We also feature the title track from David's solo album Vocalise, and we conclude the episode with a recording of David playing the first movement of the Franck Sonata from his Sonatas by Franck and Shostakovich album. Both the Vocalise album and the Sonatas album are available through the ISB Web Store. I'd also encourage you to check out David's performance of the B.B. Wolf by Jon Deak. It's a great piece and David knocks it out of the park! About David: David Murray has an international reputation as a solo bassist and teacher. He is currently Professor of Bass at Butler University in Indianapolis and Principal Bassist ofthe Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. He also plays as Principal Bassist with Sinfonia da Camera in Urbana, Illinois, and at the Bear Valley Music Festival in northern California. Before coming to Indianapolis, David was Instructor of Bass at West Texas A&M University and principal with the Amarillo Symphony.He has been a member of the Dallas Chamber Orchestra and also toured twice with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. David's first private teacher was bass virtuoso Gary Karr, with whom he studied in high-school and at the Hartt Music School, University of Hartford, in Connecticut. Summers were spent at Tanglewood and the Aspen Music Festival, where he worked with Stuart Sankey. At Aspen, he won the 1981concerto competition. In Los Angeles in 1988 he won the International Society of Bassists (ISB) Solo Competition, the first prize being a solo debut at Carnegie Hall. David has made solo appearances, both in recital and with orchestra, and given clinics and masterclasses throughout the United States, his native Canada, and in South Korea, Brazil, Israel, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal,Denmark, Germany, and Holland. He has performed at several summer chamber music festivals including Scotia Festival, Killington, and Cape May. In June, 2001,David hosted the ISB convention at Butler University for 800 bassists from 27countries and is currently a Past-President of the ISB. He has been published in the ISB journal, Double Bassist magazine, the Suzuki Association of America journal, and American String Teachers journal. He has recorded three solo CD's(most recently in 2012), a duo CD with bassist Diana Gannett, is a founding member of the bass quartet Bad Boys of Bass with whom he released a CD in 2006,and he released a DVD of theater music in the spring of 2003. "…to hear David Murray play it, the string bass is a vastly and unjustly neglected instrument. Murray…became a prime spokesman for the instrument." Denver Post "…Murray is a top-notch player." IndianapolisStar

I had the opportunity recently to perform my arrangement of the Monti Czardas for double bass and orchestra recently, and I thought that it would make for a cool podcast episode. I though that Andy Anderson would make for a spectacular soloist, so this recording features me conducting and Andy playing bass with my orchestra. Andy is a member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago bass section and teaches bass at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and he has been featured on the podcast several times in the past. We cover some of the details behind this arrangement, including some rehearsal recordings that Andy sent me to play for my group, and I couldn't resist adding a little bonus audio at the end of the episode featuring a well-known piece for orchestra. Enjoy!

We are diving into a really interesting project today called Anna's Promise. Anna's Promise is the third in a series of multimedia works developed by Barry Green (author of The Inner Game of Music and several other works, and also a former Contrabass Conversations guest). Barry is joined by Jeff Bradetich (double bass professor at the University of North Texas and also a former Contrabass Conversations guest) to speak with me about this work. The first piece, Anna's Way, From Inspiration to Artistry, is a 45-minute musical and visual journey of a young bass prodigy and her rediscovery the joy of music after lessons with a Tai Chi master. Written by Alan Scofield, this story is set to music from China, India, Africa, Brazil, Israel, and America by Tony Osborne, Francois Rabbath, Arvo Pärt, Astor Piazzolla, Emily Brown, Mary Knysh, Larry Dunlap, Johann Birkenstock, Frank Proto, and Andrés Martín (who we recently interviewed for the podcast—stay tuned for this!). The second piece, Anna's Gift, is a fifty-five minute story about a musician named Anna was written for solo bass, concert band, and narrator, and includes background visuals. The story takes place ten years after Anna was inspired to become an artist from her studies with retired Tai Chi Master Chen. The piece recounts the emotional journey of a gifted concert bassist who is longing for love and fire in her music and her life. Andrés Martín composed the music for this piece. We delve into Anna's Promise, the third part of this series, today in our conversation with Barry Green and Jeff Bradetich about this project, which is being performed by 34 different soloists all across the world. Andrés Martín is also the composer for this third installment. Anna's Promise is a worldwide effort to spread this inspirational story. The commissioning fee for Andrés Martín and story writer Alan Scofield, is being raised through industry solicitation directed by Toni Buffa of Lemur Music Inc. [email protected]. When requested, USA non-profit status for charitable deductible contributions to this project will be possible through the Bradetich Foundation. www.bradetichfoundation.org. Further information from Barry Green [email protected]. There is also a gofundme set up for this project, and Kolstein's has contributed a bass and bow for auction to support Anna's Promise. Visit the Anna's Promise website for complete details about this project. Here's a line-up of the performers for this project and the country in which each will be performing: South Africa: Leon Bosch Sweden: Jan Alm Mexico: Andrés Martín Brazil: Marcos Machado Argentina: Juan Pablo Navarro Israel: Michael Klinghoffer Australia: Steve Reeves China: Heran Yang, Tian Yang Liu Germany: Claus Freudenstein Norway: Dan Styffe Switzerland: Enrico Fagone Spain: Diego Zecharies Italy: Giuseppe Ettorre Turkey: Esra Gul France: Theirry Barbe Austria: Christine Hoock Bulgaria: Irina-Kalina Goudeva Hong Kong: Chan Shiu Hang Olive Thailand: Pongsathorn Nowbassist Surapab Japan: Kazuhiro Tanabe Russia: Artem Chirkov United States: Barry Green, Jeff Bradetich Singapore: Gennadi Mouzyka Greece: Vassilis Papavassiliou Poland: Irene Olkiewicz Denmark: Andreas Bennetzen Canada: Ali Kian Yazdanfar United Kingdom: Chi-Chi Nwanoku Rumania: Catalan Rotaru Taiwan: Yi-Jung Su South Korea: Ha Young Jung Serbia: Svetozar Vujic Czech Republic: Jiri Hudec

I am thrilled to feature Ron Carter today on the podcast. If is one bassist in the world that truly needs no introduction, it's Ron. Ron recently received the Guinness World Record title for most recorded jazz bassist in history, with well over 2200 recording credits to his name. From his work with the Miles Davis Quintet in the 1960s to his collaborations with musicians like Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Hank Jones, his numerous projects as a bandleader, and his work outside of the jazz realm with artists like Billy Joel and A Tribe Called Quest, Ron has truly shaped our conception of the sound of the double bass. Ron has four books available: Comprehensive Bass Method Finding the Right Notes Building Jazz Bass Lines Ron Carter Collection Be sure to check out these books, and you can find the video for Ron Carter Live here. Ron's extensive discography is available through this link. I'd also like to welcome back our sponsor Discover Double Bass! They have a 4 hour course on creating walking bass lines, with 55 HD video lessons in a step-by-step order to help you to master the style of walking bass. You can check out this course as well as many other offerings at discoverdoublebass.com/store. If you're new to Contrabass Conversations and are a jazz fan, then check out our episodes featuring Carlos Henriquez, Rufus Reid, Larry Gray, and Eric Hochberg for more conversations with great jazz artists.

Friday's episode features another interview from the archives with bass maker Chris Threlkeld-Wiegand, who owns and operates the Heartland String Bass Shop. Chris makes beautiful basses and extensions—I actually have one of Chris' extensions on my main bass. Chris' basses are played in major orchestras throughout the United States and are beautiful instruments with great sound. About Chris: Chris Threlkeld-Wiegand started playing bass at age nine. He earned a full scholarship to the University of Iowa where he studied under Eldon Obrecht and earned a Bachelor of Music in String Bass Performance. Chris has played with the Quad Cities Youth Symphony, the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Symphony Orchestra, and the Quad Cities Symphony. He has also performed with many bands during his career, ranging from jazz to blues to folk in communities as far ranging as Nagoya, Japan and Austin, Texas. Chris has had a life-long interest in the sound and responsiveness of basses. As a player, Chris knows that having a finely tuned instrument is critical, and he recognizes the remarkable difference a slight sound post adjustment or bridge arching can make. His interest in sound and the influence of craftsmanship and ingenious problem solving led him to world famous Collings Guitars. While working at Collings and living in Austin, his cat (a black one!) knocked over and broke the neck on his bass. At the time, Chris was taking private lessons from Professor David Neubert at the University of Texas. Frustrated with the quality of the repair work on his bass, Chris asked Professor Neubert to recommend a good repair shop. "Albuquerque" was the guiding answer. Robertson & sons Violin shop is one of the world's finest string instrument repair shops & is located in Albuquerque, NM. For five years at Robertson & Sons, Chris had the opportunity to learn the craft of bass repair and construction under the tutelage of an acknowledged master, and work on some of the finest basses in the world. From neck grafts to cracks, Chris's skills were applied to a full range of challenges. But he also developed many original techniques, including installation of custom low C & B extensions that integrate into the scroll rather than cutting the scroll and gluing the extension to the modified scroll. In 2003 it was time to set up shop in his home state of Iowa, and bring his remarkable set of skills and experiences to musicians in the Midwest. Heartland String Bass Shop is the complete manifestation of a musical life, a commitment to sound, and skills honed under the watchful eye of the finest instrument makers and repairers in the world.

John Grillo and I recorded this interview with Barrie Kolstein back in 2008, and it has proven to be a very popular episode in the catalog. Barrie runs the Kolstein shop Long Island, and his instruments have been utilized by Jeff Turner of the Pittsburgh Symphony, James Van Demark of the Eastman School of Music, Scott Haigh of the Cleveland Orchestra, and many others. John Grillo has been frequenting the Kolstein shop for years, and it was great to have John in on the conversation. This was a great chat about all sorts of bass-related topics. About Barrie Kolstein: 1967-1971 Kolstein basses State University of New York at Albany Obtained a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Administration and Marketing. 1967-1973 Formally studied the Double Bass under the pedagogues: Frederick Zimmermann, Assistant Principal of the New York Philharmonic; Orin O'Brien, New York Philharmonic; Georges Andre, Metropolitan Opera; Robert Gladstone, Principal Bassist Detroit Symphony; Samuel Hollingsworth, Principal Bassist Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; David Holland, renowned Jazz artist. 1971-1974 Served in formal apprenticeship for instrument and bow restoration, construction and appraisals, under the expert auspices of renowned violin and bow maker, restorer, and appraiser, Samuel Kolstein. 1974-1978 Served as staff instrument and bow restorer as well as making numerous new violin and celli with Samuel Kolstein. 1979 Promoted to head violin master in the shop of Samuel Kolstein. 1981 Assumed full business responsibilities for operating all aspects of Samuel Kolstein & Son, Ltd. and Kolstein Music, Inc. 1981 to present Head violin maker, restorer, and appraiser with a staff of nine violin makers working under his supervision. Published numerous technical articles on restoration and appraisals in the International Society of Bassists with feature article published in the Strad, February 1991; presently editor of the "Luthier Corner" in the International Society of Bassists magazine restoration and repair forum; published regularly in the Double Bassist magazine and the Strad magazine, both of London, England, since 1996. These articles have ranged form interviews with makers and performers, technical articles on repair/making, and expert appraisal articles on historic master makers; featured in the violinmaking segment of Robin Lehman's documentary, Young Peoples Guide to the Orchestra; contacted to appear in the upcoming educational video on "Careers in Music". On the expert appraisers staff of Art Conservation fine arts adjusters as a String Instrument and Bow Expert. Barrie Kolstein has completed well over one hundred instruments (Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass Violins) utilized by renowned players including Jeffrey Turner, Pittsburgh Symphony; Robert Gladstone, Detroit Symphony; James Van Demark, Professor of Double Bass Eastman School of Music and world famous soloist; Charles Urbont, Metropolitan Opera; James Clute, Minnesota Symphony Orchestra; David Sheets, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Lou Norton, New York Philharmonic; Caitlyn Kamanga, Hong Kong Philharmonic;, Scott Haig, Assistant Principal Bassist, Cleveland Orchestra; Hienrich Joachim, renowned soloist and former member of the New York Philharmonic; Lew Norton, New York Philharmonic; Barbara Yendell, Hong Kong Philharmonic, to name a few! Mr. Kolstein is a member of: Appraisers Association of America, 1994 to present International Society of Bassists, 1979 – present Violin Society of America, 1980 – present Viola Congress, 1983 – present Cello Congress, 1982 – present Listed in The Violin Makers of the United States, by Thomas J. Wenberg, Mount Hood Publishing Company, 1986.

We are featuring George Martin from Thomas and George Martin Violin Makers. Their shop has been making basses for over 30 years, and they have a wealth of knowledge about the instrument-making and restoration process. George and I dig into these details, talking about some of his most challenging restorations and what goes into making a bass. Our recent Contrabass Conversations guest Marc Ramirez spoke with me about finding his Cavani bass at the Martin shop (that story starts at the 80 minute mark for that episode). It was a great story and a great talk in general--be sure to check out Marc's interview if you haven't yet--it was episode 173 of the podcast. About the Martin Shop: As many will know, The Thomas and George Martin Workshop is just north of the town of Banbury, England in an ancient hamlet. It took us several months to turn an ancient open fronted stone barn into a sate of the art workshop to continue the family business of making and restoring fine stringed instruments. The workshop is a warm and happy place to work with an easy working atmosphere. We have an outstanding team of highly skilled individuals who each play an important part in producing and restoring some of the finest instruments in the world. The workshop operation is cared for and managed on a daily basis by George, while Tom is often called in to give advice and check all the new basses. Please have a look at our meet the team page to get to know everybody better. The workshop team has now produced a large number of double basses, several fine cello's, and a few violas and violins. We have also had the privilege to repair and restore some wonderful instruments over the years as well as performing minor adjustment and set up work for players just starting out to the worlds best professionals.

Nick Lloyd has become one of the top double bass makers in the country over the years, with award-winning basses being played worldwide, including talents as diverse as New York Philharmonic principal bassist Tim Cobb and YouTube sensation Adam Ben Ezra. We talk about Nick's early years learning the bass, apprenticing with various makers and learning the craft of bass making, the intricacies of making a bass, his standard bass designs, travel necks, his financing options for basses, and playing with the Kentucky Winders in Pakistan! About Nick: I was born in central Iowa, and first met the doublebass at age 8. In 1993 I moved to Boston to freelance and attend the Longy School of Music. As my interests developed, a question remained unanswered: how is a doublebass made? Well, Boston luthier & bassist John Styklunas was the first to answer that question. It's been over 20 years now, and my teachers also include Michael Shank, Paul Hart, and Daniel Hachez. All of these luthiers have helped me assemble the skills and high standards necessary to make and repair professional-quality double basses. Most importantly, my training has taught me to always respect the client, regardless of what kind of music they play. Since establishing my Cincinnati shop in 2000, my instruments have received awards for tone and workmanship. In addition, I received the 2007 "Friend Of The Bass" award from the International Society of Bassists for organizing the Katrina Basses project. In 2015, in conjunction with the State Department and musical group the Kentucky Winders, I became a U.S Cultural Ambassador. This position includes traveling internationally to promote traditional American music as well as performances with ethnic musicians of respective host countries.

A graduate of Juilliard, Susan Lipkins is one of the most respected bowmaker in the country and has made bows for Hal Robinson, Alex Hanna, Jeff Turner, Max Dimoff, Thomas Martin, and other major bassists worldwide. We talk about Sue's early years growing up in Queens and studying with Homer Mensch and John Shaffer at Juilliard, her inspiration to become a bowmaker, the multitude of small steps that go into making a bow, tonal characteristics of different strains of pernambuco, and advice on choosing a bow that works for each individual. About Susan: I grew up in Queens, New York. I attended the High School of Music and Art, followed by receiving my Bachelors and Masters degrees in Double Bass performance from the Juilliard School of Music. I had long been intrigued by the double bass instruments I and others played and also found the bows fascinating. The professional musician's lifestyle and auditions seemed daunting to me. Instead I sought related areas of the classical music scene in which I might become involved. A position opened for me to work in sales at the bowmaker, William Salchow's shop. Soon a bench opening for rehairing arose and I learned to rehair bows, which suited me well. William Salchow generously agreed to teach me how to make bows in the hours after the shop had closed. Yung Chin, who was then working in the Salchow shop, also gave of his time, guiding my training. Once on my own, Francois Malo of Montreal and David Samuels, now living in Israel, contributed generously to my early training. As a result of my contact with bass teachers from my music training, I was surrounded by bass players and as a bass player myself, I naturally gravitated towards the making of bass bows. Even early on, as a well trained player, my bows were made from the player's perspective. As my bowmaking skills developed, so grew my understanding of playability. My intuitive sense of bowmaking developed from the player's foundation guided my process and I found myself specializing in the making of bass bows, in both the French and German styles. I have attended the Oberlin Bowmaking Workshop in summers since 1999, where with my colleagues, there is rich exchange of information, methods, and ideas. In the summer of 2000, I studied with Stephane Thomachot and Mitsu Sasano in Paris, which advanced my foundation in the French style of bowmaking. With this firm grounding in the classical French style, my bows are not only beautiful but real "players' bows". I make my bows to order, one at at time, striving for the highest quality with each bow. I have since gone on to make bass bows for many of the most prominent players in many major symphony orchestras.

One of the most enjoyable things about hosting a show like this is that I have the opportunity to connect with people that I find interesting and that are really exploring different directions in the world of the double bass, and Brent Edmondson is a prime example of a person like this. I've been following along with Brent for years as he helped Ranaan Meyer to launch the Next Level Journals and Ranaan Meyer Entertainment. He has created a really interesting role for himself in the world of the double bass, subbing with the Philadelphia Orchestra and playing with other top-tier ensembles, but also administering camps like the Wabass Institute, helping Ira Gold to launch his new Orchestral Bowing Workshop, editing Hal Robinson's publications, and working in roles like personnel manager and operations director for the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. About Brent: Double bassist Brent Edmondson is an active performer in the Philadelphia area. Brent currently serves as the principal double bassist of the Lancaster Symphony and the Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and is an A-list substitute with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He previously held positions with the Beaumont Symphony, Atlantic Symphony, Mercury Orchestra, and Waltham Philharmonic. During the summer, Brent is the double bass instructor at the New York Summer Music Festival. Brent previously performed with the Endless Mountain Music Festival Orchestra. Recent performances include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philly Pops, Houston Symphony, and other ensembles throughout the country. Brent received his Masters degree from Boston University with Edwin Barker, principal bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His other teachers include Hal Robinson, principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eric Larson of the Houston Symphony, Rob Kesselman of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Ranaan Meyer of the trio Time for Three. Brent works in the arts community as Education Director and Music Librarian of the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. He formerly held the position of Operations and Business Manager for Ranaan Meyer Entertainment. He was the Operations Manager of Wabass Institute and Wabass Workshop from 2011 to 2015.

We are featuring Carlos Henriquez on today's show. Carlos has been the bassist for the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for nearly 20 years, and he has just released his first solo album The Bronx Pyramid on Blue Engine Records. You'll hear clips from the title track before and after the interview, and we have a link to check out the entire album, which I highly recommend, in the show notes. We talk with Carlos about growing up in the Bronx, meeting Wynton, developing Afro-Cuban bass lines, finding your voice, and much more. Be sure to check out our sponsor Discover Double Bass! Whether you're looking for lessons on walking bass lines, technical exercises, soloing concepts, or phrasing with the bow, Discover Double Bass has helpful resources to get you to the next level in your craft. You can check out over 70 free lessons and much more at discoverdoublebass.com. About Carlos: Carlos Henriquez was born in 1979 in the Bronx, New York. He studied music at a young age, played guitar through junior high school and took up the bass while enrolled in The Juilliard School's Music Advancement Program. He entered LaGuardia High School of Music & Arts and Performing Arts and was involved with the LaGuardia Concert Jazz Ensemble which went on to win first place in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival in 1996. In 1998, swiftly after high school, Henriquez joined the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, touring the world and featured on more than 25 albums. Henriquez has performed with artists including Chucho Valdes, Paco De Lucia, Tito Puente, the Marsalis Family, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz, Marc Anthony, and many others. He has been a member of the music faculty at Northwestern University School of Music since 2008, and was music director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's cultural exchange with the Cuban Institute of Music with Chucho Valdes in 2010.

Today's guest is Ian Hallas, the newest member of the double bass section of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Ian successfully auditioned for Lyric in January of 2016 and joins a section with former Contrabass Conversations guests Greg Sarchet and Andrew Anderson. Ian studied with Paul Ellison at Rice University and David Allen Moore at the University of Southern California. Ian also happens to be a former student of mine! We talk through the audition process for Lyric (number of rounds, the audition list, what he played in particular rounds), his routine in the days, weeks, and months approaching an audition, his previous auditions taken, books that have shaped his audition preparation, and advice for people embarking upon the audition trail. Enjoy!

We are featuring Douglas Mapp on today's episode. Douglas is the current president of the International Society of Bassists and is also on faculty at Rowan University, where he is professor of jazz studies and teaches double bass. He is also extremely active as a performer, serving as principal bassist of the Reading Symphony and Assistant Principal of the Delaware Symphony and he performs regularly with some of the regions premiere ensembles including the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Philly Pops, Harrisburg Symphony, and several other groups in the area. Douglas and I had a great chat about a wide variety of topics, including the realities of making a living as a freelancer, what makes the International Society of Bassists conventions so special, and his company douglasmappmusic, which has for 20 years been providing piano parts written in keys that fit with standard orchestral tuning. Enjoy! About Douglas: Bassist Douglas Mapp is at home in many styles of music ranging from classical to jazz and Broadway to contemporary classical. The list of artists that he has performed, recorded and toured with includes Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, Donnie McClurkin, Richard Smallwood, Natalie Cole, Randy Brecker, Sean Jones, Ernie Watts, Lana Del Rey, Earth Wind and Fire, R Kelly, and Jeff Majors. He is the principal bassist of the Reading Symphony and Assistant Principal of the Delaware Symphony. He performs regularly with some of the regions premiere ensembles including the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Philly Pops, Harrisburg Symphony, and has a twenty-year tenure with the Philadelphia based new music ensemble Relâche. He has performed as substitute bassist with the Philadelphia Orchestra both at home and on tour. He has performed as a soloist with many of the groups with which he performs, including his spring 2015 performance of the Bottesin Grand Duo Concertante with the Reading Symphony. His publishing company, Douglas Mapp Music has been helping bassists to solve the age-old dilemma of solo versus orchestra tuning for over twenty years with piano parts written in keys that fit with standard orchestral tuning. He is president-elect of the International Society of Bassists and will chair the 2015 ISB convention at Colorado State University. Mr. Mapp is a graduate of the University of the Arts and Temple University where his primary teachers were Neil Courtney and John Hood.

We are featuring a series of crazy gig stories that I had recorded in the first phase of the podcast. I had a total blast doing these back in the day and hope to do more of these in the near future. You'll be hearing four of my own stories on this episode: My Car Caught Fire and Exploded Bugs Bunny is my Mortal Enemy Annoying Conductors 101 Auditioning is a Rotten Pastime The last story is from podcast guest David Cardon, a fellow bassist from my time at Northwestern University. He's a cool guy and incredibly funny, and I think that you'll really enjoy this tale from him!

Today's episode is a bit of a departure from the norm for us. This is a recording of a talk I did for the Illinois American String Teachers Association's Fall Teacher Enrichment Workshop in October of 2015. I have been involved with this organization for many years and am their current state chapter president. I have done presentations like this many times in the past (you can find them in the archives of Contrabass Conversations). I cover all sorts of music apps for iOS and Android that I use in my own practicing and teaching, and I think that listeners will discover some useful tools by listening to this presentation. I recorded this talk on my iPad, and I actually use the iPad for a few parts of the talk, so you will hear some audio strangeness from time to time as I pick up and manipulate the iPad. I also demo a device called the MIDI Fighter using a piece of software called Ableton Live, and again, you'll hear me kind of banging away at this device as I talk, so that's what's going on at the end of the talk. Here's a link to a video of the MIDI Fighter in action--it's an interesting device!

We are featuring Bruce Bransby on today's show. Bruce has been professor of double bass at Indiana University for three decades and has taught bass players who now hold positions in major orchestras worldwide. Bruce has also been a faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival for this same length of time. Prior to that, he served as principal bass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Kansas City Symphony. Bruce is also an outstanding soloist, composer, and arranger, and you'll be hearing an excerpt from his arrangement of the Valentini Cello Sonata at the beginning of the episode, and we'll conclude today with Bruce's own Valse for double bass and piano, which he composed under the pseudonym Rolande E. Curb (Curb is Bruce spelled backwards). We feature more music from Bruce in the bonus content for this episode, and you can access that material from the Contrabass Conversations app. Just click on this episode and choose 'bonus.'These compositions and arrangements can be purchased from Lemur Music (Theme, Prelude, and Valentini links) or the String Emporium website. Enjoy, and check out this link to learn more about the Performer Diploma in Orchestral Studies offered by the Jacobs School--most graduate double bass students are choosing this option at IU. About Bruce: Bruce Bransby was principal double bass with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1978-1986) under Zubin Mehta, Carlo Maria Giulini, and Andre Previn, and was principal double bass with the Kansas City Symphony (1971-1978). He studied with Nat Gangursky, Peter Mercurio, and Stuart Sankey. Professor Bransby performs widely as soloist and chamber player and has premiered numerous works, including several concertos for the double bass. While in Los Angeles, he was active in studio recordings for motion pictures and television. He was a faculty member at California State University Northridge, the University of Missouri at Kansas City, the California Music Center, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, and has been a performing member of the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival since 1987. His students hold positions in many of the world's finest symphony orchestras.

Jason talks about his rapidly approaching move to San Francisco and discusses what's in store for the show.

We are featuring Andrew Raciti on this week's show. Andy is the acting principal bass of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He is also the head of the double bass studio of the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. Before joining the Milwaukee Symphony in 2006, Mr Raciti was associate principal bass of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia. He has also performed with the Detroit Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. We talk about Andy's experiences growing up in Milwaukee, studying at UW-Madison, studying with Paul at Rice, the Sydney Symphony, the Northwestern University bass studio, how Andy approaches lessons, the Laborie endpin, his Tester bass, and several other topics. We also feature excerpts from Zivojin Glisic's Concerto for Double Bass and String Orchestra with Andy and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Chamber Orchestra. Enjoy! About Andrew: Andrew Raciti is the acting principal bass of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He is also the head of the double bass studio of the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. Before joining the Milwaukee Symphony in 2006, Mr Raciti was associate principal bass of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia. He has also performed with the Detroit Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In the summers he has been the principal bass of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and performs orchestral and chamber music at the Grand Teton Music Festival. He is also a regular professor of the Filharmonica Joven de Colombia in South America. In 2011 he performed the United States premiere of the Concerto for Double Bass and String Orchestra by Macedonian composer Zivoin Glisic. A recognized authority in bass pedagogy and performance, Mr Raciti has published articles in the quarterly for the International Society of Bassists. He is currently involved with the BATUTA foundation of Colombia, South America, where he is developing the bass portion of a comprehensive string pedagogy that will be used throughout its 17,000 member nationwide network. Visit Andrew Raciti's Double Bass Studio Facebook Page

Today's episode features Indianapolis Symphony principal bassist Ju-Fang Liu. We had a great conversation about growing up in Taiwan, her years studying at the Interlochen Arts Academy and at Indiana University with Lawrence Hurst and Bruce Bransby, her time in New World, teaching, playing jazz, studying bass overseas, and several other topics. We also feature excerpts from her wonderful solo album, which I highly recommend checking out—it really is bass playing at its finest. Enjoy! About Ju-Fang: Ju-Fang Liu was appointed Principal Bass of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra by Maestro Mario Venzago in 2003, shortly after receiving her bachelor and master's degrees in double bass performance from Indiana University. There she studied with notable bass pedagogues Bruce Bransby and Larry Hurst. In addition, she has worked with other internationally-known teachers such as Edwin Barker, Edger Meyer, Harold Robinson, Stuart Stankey, Lawrence Wolf and Tim Cobb. Ms. Liu's musical interests encompass all aspects of musical performance. She was a repeat performer in the world-renowned Marlboro Music Festival working with the top chamber music professionals of our time as well as performing in the Aspen and Tanglewood Music Festivals. A sensitive and thoughtful performer, she is constantly in demand in Indianapolis' various chamber music venues. Ju-Fang has been a finalist for the Boston Symphony as well as for the Atlanta Symphony Principal position in 2014, and has appeared with the Chicago Symphony. In addition, she has performed as co-principal with the New World Symphony. Her solo concerto performances have included the Bottesini, Koussevitzky and Tubin concerti, the latter performed under the baton of Maestro Venzago. She is also the first performer to win both the Solo and Orchestral Categories (Adult/Professional) of the International Society of Bassists competitions. Ju-Fang has always had a serious interest in teaching and pedagogy and has previously taught at DePauw University and Indiana University. She joined the faculty of the Butler University School of Music in Indianapolis in 2014. Ms. Liu has given master classes in Columbia, working with the Filarmónica Joven de Colombia and has been a guest artist at the Taipei National School of the Arts and the Beijing Central Conservatory and other conservatories in China and Taiwan, performing recitals and giving classes. Always seeking to improve her musical scope, Ju-Fang was awarded a Creative Renewal Grant from the Arts Council of Indianapolis and has added the electric bass and jazz study to her resume. Her solo cd is available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/JuFangLiu.

Today's episode features longtime collaborator John Grillo performing Mozart's aria Per questa bella mano. So, today's episode features John performing Per Questa Bella Mano with John Dennison singing and Andrew Hauze on piano. In addition to being our third interview guest for the podcast way back in 2007 (almost ten years ago at this point!), John and I have co-interviewed many prominent bassists over the years, including Lawrence Hurst (which we re-released a few weeks ago in a newly edited format), Ed Barker, Max Dimoff, and many others. We've also featured quite a bit of John's bass playing here, including a complete recital featuring music of Bach, Schubert, Dave Anderson, and Stanley Chepaitis. We also featured a couple of really interesting episodes covering orchestra excerpts and opera excerpts with an analysis of each excerpt followed by a performance from John of that excerpt. these are extremely useful practice guides—definitely check these out if you haven't before—it's episode 41 for the orchestra excerpts and episode 62 for the opera excerpts. If you have the app, just search for "John Grillo" and you'll find all of these episodes. I hope you enjoy this, and stay tuned for more from John in the future!

Today we are featuring an interview with Marc Ramirez. Originally from New York, Marc is the principal bassist with the Gulbenkian Orchestra of Lisbon, Portugal. Marc and I had a great conversation about his path to this job overseas, where he has now been for 17 years. We talk about similarities and differences in American and European orchestras, auditioning, traveling with a bass, his beautiful Cavani bass, and many other topics. We also feature excerpts from Marc's performance of the Bottesini Grande Duo Concertante para Violino e Contrabaixo with Bin Chao on violin. Up Magazine recently did a great profile on Marc covering his journey from the United States to Portugal, touring with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, and many other topics. Marc will also be performing the European premiere of the Harbison Bass Concerto in May of 2016. Enjoy!

Today's episode features Lauren Pierce and Geoff Chalmers, both of whom have been doing some remarkable things online in the world of the bass. What's really cool is that these two have paired up to do a new web series called Ask Geoff and Lauren. In this episode, we talk about each of their respective sites and what they've been developing online. You can find Geoff online at discoverdoublebass.com and Lauren at laurenpiercebass.com and on her Facebook artist page at facebook.com/LaurenPierceBass. Enjoy! About Geoff: Based in the UK, Geoff has performed on numerous gigs, shows, cruise ships, tours and recording sessions. He has a degree in jazz bass, as well as a postgraduate diploma in classical music. In addition to being a busy freelance bassist Geoff is also an experienced educator having taught bass at schools, colleges and universities, as well as to hundreds of private students. In August 2013 Geoff founded Discover Double Bass with it's free lessons library covering a wide range of styles and techniques. The videos are now being viewed thousands of times each week and a new lesson is released every two weeks. About Lauren: Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Lauren began her musical studies at the age of seven on piano and voice. Later, she was introduced to the Double Bass and soon began lessons with the late Douglas Sommer, section bassist for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. While studying with Douglas Sommer, she continued her studies at the University of South Carolina under the tutelage of Dr. Craig Butterfield. During her studies at USC, Lauren was given the Presser Scholar Award, named a Magellan Scholar, and in 2010, performed a concerto with the University of South Carolina Symphony as the winner of that years USC Concerto Competition. After graduating from USC, Lauren moved to Denton, Texas to study the double bass with Jeffrey Bradetich. During this period, Lauren competed in the American String Teachers Association Competition and the International Society of Bassists Competition. In 2014, she was named coordinator of the Bradetich Summer Bass Camps.

It is our pleasure to bring you this interview with Paul Ellison. Paul is chair of strings and professor of double bass at Rice University, where he has taught for the past four decades. He is the former principal bass of the Houston Symphony, former president of the International Society of Bassists, and has had a significant impact on the double bass world. In this interview, we discuss Paul's early background, his encounters with François Rabbath, being a musical athlete on the bass, gut strings and the adoption of steel strings, the undergraduate experience at Rice University, and many other topics. Enjoy! About Paul: Performing solo and ensemble concerts as well as giving master classes on the double bass and period instruments on four continents, Paul Ellison is the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Double Bass and chair of strings at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, Visiting Artist-Faculty University of Southern California and guest tutor at the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Royal College of Music, and Bass Club, England. Current summer positions include principal bass at the Grand Teton Music Festival, faculty/performer at the Sarasota Music Festival and faculty/performer at Festival Domaine Forget, Quebec. Former students hold titled positions in major ensembles and institutions of higher learning on five continents. Previous positions include principal bass of Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Aspen Festival Orchestras (also faculty), professor of double bass and chair of strings at the University of Southern California, and president of the International Society of Bassists. Ellison was the first to receive both the diploma and teaching certificate from Institut International Rabbath, Paris.

We are featuring Blair Tindall on the podcast today. Blair is the author of the book Mozart in the Jungle, which explores the world of classical musicians in a very compelling narrative. Blair and I talk about life as a New York freelancer, her journey into a career as a writer, and we take a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the production of the TV series. Mozart in the Jungle has been turned into a TV series on Amazon Video. The first season received two Golden Globe nominations (one for best comedy series and one for Gael Garcia Bernal for best actor) and the second season launches today! If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you can stream all episodes, and if you don't yet use Amazon Prime, you can start a free 30-day trial here.

About Shigeru: Born in Tokyo, Japan, Shigeru Ishikawa is one of the foremost double bassists of his generation, both as a performer and a teacher. He is currently He is currently Solo Bass (ie. principal bass) of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo. Shigeru previously served as the principal double bass (Solo Kontrabass) of the BernerSymphonieOrchester in Bern, Switzerland, which he started in 2006. His performance has been described as "irresistible charm" (Der Bund), "jewel of a crown" (Miami Herald), "deep-rumbling bravura with athletic, fleet-fingered virtuosity" (Sun Sentinel). He was the principal bassist of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997 to 2003 under the music directors of James Judd and Joseph Silverstein. Prior to that, he served as the guest principal bass with the New Japan Philharmonic in 1996 under Seiji Ozawa Music Director and was the principal bass of the New World Symphony Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas from 1993 to 1996. He has been also the member of Saito Kinen Orchestra (Seiji Ozawa, Music Director) since 1992 where he participated in numerous recordings on Philips and Decca label. Maestro Ozawa chose him as the solo bassist (Chamber Orchestra) of Saito Kinen Orchestra for Britten's War Requiem both in Japan and US tour in 2009 and 2010 and recorded on Decca label. In addition to his orchestral activities, Shigeru Ishikawa regularly presents solo and chamber music performances. Since 1991 he has given numerous recitals both in Japan and USA , places including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Matsumoto, Sapporo, New York, Miami, Boca Raton, and has appeared in radio broadcast in both countries. In 2009, his Recital in Tokyo was broadcasted by NHK, Japan's national television network, and especially Franck's violin sonata performed on bass brought sensation throughout Japan. In U.S.A, he has released CD with Trio Tres Amigo with oboe and piano. He has also appeared as a soloist to perform concertos, such as Koussevitzky concerto with Lynn Philharmonic, Bottesini Tarantella with Renaissance Chamber Orchestra and BottesiniPassioneAmorosa with BernerSymphonieOrchester. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with Berlin Quartet, IvryGitlis, members of Boston Symphony Orchestra, Bolomeo String Quartet. As a winner of JAA music award in New York in 1991, he gave a New York debut recital in Carnegie Hall. He is also the prize winner of Bass94 International Doublebass Competition in 1994 in Avignon, France. In 1999, he was invited to give a recital at the International Society of Bassists Convention in the United States He is also known as a supreme teacher with modern double bass technique. He served on the faculty of Boston Conservatory from 1996 to 1997 and after he came to Florida, he has taught at Harid Conservatory, Lynn University and Florida Atlantic University. He regularly gives master classes in the United States and Japan. He received his Bachelor of Economics degree from Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, and his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School of Music in 1992.In addition, he has studied at Yale School of Music and Toho Gakuen School of Music. His primary bass instructors have been Eugene Levinson, Gary Karr, Edwin Barker and Shunsaku Tsutsumi.

Today we talk with Los Angeles Philharmonic bassist Brian Johnson, who has just released an app for iOS called Learn Double Bass. What a cool app! This app (currently free!) contains over 70 videos that clearly cover a specific bass topic. These videos range from the very first steps (tuning the bass, rosining the bow) to more advanced concepts like spiccato. In addition to these videos, the app contains a great number of helpful PDF resources. Brian also teaches at California State University at Fullerton and at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, and he was a member of the Kansas City Symphony and Oregon Symphony prior to his current position with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It's great to see this kind of quality content from a professional orchestra player. I can see everyone from a beginning bassist to someone gearing up for orchestral auditions benefiting from this app, and I think that teachers in particular (both classroom and private) will find this immensely useful. Check out the app here, and follow along with Learn Double Bass on Facebook and on Instagram. Brian is putting out some great practice tips on Instagram as well as some excellent bass shots.

We are featuring our complete interview with former Indiana University and University of Michigan double bass professor Lawrence Hurst on this week's Contrabass Conversations episode. This interview was broadcast in the early days of this show in three separate parts, and we are pleased to present the complete and uninterrupted interview on this week's show. This episode was co-hosted by John Grillo. Enjoy! About Lawrence Hurst: Lawrence Hurst began his musical studies on the piano accordion at the age of four. At 13, he started studying the double bass through the public school system of his hometown, Norfolk, Virginia. After serving two years with the Seventh Army Symphony, he started his professional career as principal bassist with the Dallas Symphony under Sir Georg Solti. He joined the music faculty at the University of Michigan School of Music in 1964. During his tenure at Michigan, he chaired the String Department and was Associate Dean and Director of the University Division of the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. In 1986 he joined the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana Universtiy and was the chair of the String Department from 1987 until 2012. In 1967, he joined the summer faculty of the famed National Music Camp (now the Interlochen Arts Camp) and has taught there every summer since. His students can be found in orchestras and musical venues all over the world, including the orchestras of Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Atlanta, The Metropolitan Opera, St. Louis, and Milwaukee, to name a few. In 2005 he was given the American String Teacher's Association Artist/Teacher of the Year Award, and, in 2006, the International Society of Bassists (of which he is past president) gave him the Distinguished Teaching Award. In JUne, 2013, the ISB also awarded him the Distinguished Achievement Award. He retired from the Jacobs School of Music in June 2012, whereupon his former students initiated an endowment scholarship and medal for double bassists in his name. email: [email protected] phone (call-in number--we'll play your message on the show!): 415-952-5643

We're featuring San Francisco Symphony Principal Double Bass and University of Michigan faculty member Scott Pingel on this week's show. In addition to holding down the principal bass chair for the San Francisco Symphony, Scott taught for several years at the San Francisco Conservatory, and he served as Principal Bass of the Charleston Symphony prior to his appointment in San Francisco. This was really a great interview, and it was a pleasure to connect again with Scott (we played together for the Spoleto Festival over a decade ago). You'll learn a lot about how Scott approaches practicing for auditions, his interesting path to becoming a bass player, and the instruments and bows on which he has spent the last several years performing. About Scott: Scott Pingel began playing the double bass at age 17 because of a strong interest in jazz, Latin, and classical music. In 2004, at age 29, he became the principal bass of the San Francisco Symphony and was named by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the most prominent additions to the ensemble. Previously, Pingel served as principal bass of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, performed with the Metropolitan Opera, the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, and served as guest principal with the National Arts Center Orchestra in Canada. His solo performances with ensembles such as the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Academy Orchestra, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and in recitals frequently consisting of his own arrangements, have been met with high critical acclaim. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with such luminaries as Yo-Yo Ma, Julia Fischer, Gilbert Kalish, Wu Han, Joseph Silverstein, Yefim Bronfman, and members of the esteemed Emerson, Miro, Pacifica, St. Lawrence, Danish, and Takacs Quartets. He can often be heard at the Music@Menlo and Music in the Vineyards festivals and on television and radio programs including NPR's Performance Today. Formerly active as a jazz musician and electric bassist, Pingel worked with greats including Michael Brecker, Geoff Keezer, and James Williams, and performed in venues from Birdland in New York to Fasching in Stockholm. Pingel has taught masterclasses at prestigious institutions such as the Curtis Institute of Music, The Julliard School, Colburn School, Boston University, Manhattan School of Music, Shanghai Conservatory, Beijing Central Conservatory, and the New World Symphony. Pingel's primary instructors were James Clute, Peter Lloyd, and Timothy Cobb. He earned a BM degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a MM degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and spent two years as a fellow at the New World Symphony. Outside of music, Pingel spent many years studying the ancient Korean martial art of Hwa Rang Do, in which he holds a black belt. He was an instructor at the Madison Academy of Hwa Rang Do and founded the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Hwa Rang Do/Tae Soo Do Program, which continues to this day. Pingel lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Iris, and their daughters, Hannah and Sophia. Vanhal complete performance with San Francisco Academy Orchestra Scott's "dueling banjos" cadenza video email: [email protected] phone (call-in number--we'll play your message on the show!): 415-952-5643

We're featuring an interview with bassist Larry Gray on this week's episode. Larry's multi-instrumental path has taken him through performance on guitar, flute, cello, and piano in addition to bass. Larry is in high demand as a jazz bassist in Chicago, performing regularly for decades at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase, and he teaches at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Enjoy! About Larry Born on Chicago's south side, Larry Gray is considered by many to be one of jazz music's finest double bassists. His impressive versatility and uncommon musical curiosity keep him in demand as both a leader and sideman. Larry began his musical studies at the age of five when his father brought home an accordion and introduced him to his first teacher. Invigorated by this study, Larry added the guitar to his arsenal and studied piano seriously for many years thereafter. It was not until he was in his twenties that he decided to switch to the double bass. Larry went on to study classical music extensively, eventually adding the cello to his long list of loved instruments. His principal teachers were Joseph Guastafeste, longtime principal bassist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and cellist Karl Fruh, a highly regarded soloist and teacher. Under Mr. Fruh's guidance, he received bachelors and masters degrees in cello performance from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. Throughout his long and varied career, Larry has worked with numerous exceptional artists and jazz legends, including McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, Danilo Perez, Branford Marsalis, Benny Green, Freddy Cole, Benny Golson, Steve Turre, George Coleman, Lee Konitz, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Fortune, Ira Sullivan, Junior Mance, David "Fathead" Newman, Willie Pickens, Ann Hampton Callaway, Charles McPherson, Antonio Hart, Jackie McLean, Sonny Stitt, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Al Cohn, Randy Brecker, Nicholas Payton, Kurt Elling, Eric Alexander, Phil Woods, Jon Faddis, Roscoe Mitchell, Von Freeman, Wilbur Campbell, Eddie Harris, and Les McCann. In addition, he has collaborated with guitarists Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, and Tal Farlow, as well trumpeters Donald Byrd, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Tom Harrell, among others. Larry continues to tour extensively, performing at jazz festivals and clubs around the globe, including the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Havana Jazz Festival, Rio Sao Paulo Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, ECM Festival in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, the Poznan Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, the Montreaux Detroit Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl, Village Vanguard, Blue Note (New York and Tokyo), Kennedy Center, and the Ravinia Festival, with such jazz luminaries as Marian McPartland, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson, Frank Morgan, James Moody, Larry Coryell, Louis Bellson, Barry Harris, Dorothy Donegan, Monty Alexander, Frank Wess, Joe Williams, Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band, Kenny Drew Jr., and most recently, Ramsey Lewis. As a classical musician, Larry played several seasons with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, including a year as principal bass. He worked on many occasions with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under master conductors Erich Leinsdorf, Rafeal Kubelik, Carlo Maria Guilini, and Sir George Solti. He also was the featured double bassist with Lyric Opera for the world premiere of the opera Amistad. Larry is an arranger and composer whose work has been widely recognized as uniquely melodic and exceptionally refined. His discography includes 1,2, 3,..., on Chicago Sessions, the solo bass record, Gravity, One Look, and Solo + Quartet, all on Graywater Records, as well as the Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson collaborations Meant to Be and Simple Pleasures. He can also be heard on the Ramsey Lewis recordings Appassionata, Time Flies, and With One Voice, and the latest release, Songs From the Heart. Larry also arranged and produced the critically acclaimed CD, Django by Ferro. Furthermore, Larry has recorded with Chet Baker, Curtis Fuller, Ira Sullivan, Lin Halliday, Willie Pickens, Nicholas Payton, Randy Brecker, Bunky Green, Bob Moses, Irish flute-whistle virtuoso Laurence Nugent, pop sensations Linda Eder, Dennis DeYoung, and Peter Cetera, and songwriter Michael Smith, among others. In addition, Larry is a first-call studio musician, and his playing can be heard on many commercial radio and television jingles and studio projects as well as the PBS television series, Legends of Jazz, where he can be seen performing alongside Jim Hall, Benny Golson, Chris Potter, Phil Woods, David Sanborn, Chris Botti, Clark Terry, and Roy Hargrove. In addition, Larry's original composition for double bass and guitar, Five Movements, was commissioned and performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble at Symphony Center in Chicago. Most recently, Larry has composed two commissioned works for the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Tribute to the

Here's another popular episode from the Contrabass Conversations archives. If you haven't check this episode out before (or even if you have), you'll be in for a real treat as we explore the world of the double bass with Mr. Barker. We're featuring Boston Symphony Principal Bassist Ed Barker on this week's Contrabass Conversations episode. Conducted by Contrabass Conversations co-host John Grillo, this episode features John chatting with Ed about his early years on the bass, his schooling and time spent in the Chicago Symphony prior to his appointment with the Boston Symphony, and in-depth look at articulation on the bass, and a discussion on practicing. We hope you enjoy this conversation with this modern master performer and teacher of the double bass! About Ed Barker: Edwin Barker is recognized as one of the most gifted bassists on the American concert scene. Acknowledged as an accomplished solo and ensemble player, Mr. Barker has concertized in North America, Europe, and the Far East. Edwin Barker has performed and recorded with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and with the contemporary music ensemble Collage, a Boston – based contemporary music ensemble, and is a frequent guest performer with the Boston Chamber Music Society. Mr. Barker gave the world premiere of James Yannatos' Concerto for Contrabass and Chamber Orchestra and of Theodore Antoniou's Concertino for Contrabass and Chamber Orchestra ; he was the featured soloist in the New England premiere of Gunther Schuller's Concerto for Double Bass and Chamber Orchestra, conducted by the composer with The Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Barker graduated with honors from the New England Conservatory in 1976, where he studied double bass with Henry Portnoi. That same year, while a member of the Chicago Symphony, he was appointed at age 22 to the position of principal double bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His other double bass teachers included Peter Mercurio, Richard Stephan, Angelo LaMariana, and David Perleman. Mr. Barker was invited to inaugurate the 100th anniversary season of the Boston Symphony Orchestra with a solo performance of the Koussevitzky Bass Concerto; other solo engagements have included appearances at Ozawa Hall (Tanglewood), Carnegie Recital Hall's "Sweet and Low" series, and at major universities and conferences throughout the world, as well as concerto performances with the Boston Classical Orchestra, the Athens State Orchestra (Greece) and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston and Europe. He was a featured premiere soloist with the Boston Symphony of John Harbison's Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra at Tanglewood's 2007 Festival of Contemporary Music. Mr. Barker is an Associate Professor at the Boston University College of Fine Arts where he teaches double bass, orchestral techniques, and chamber music. His other major teaching affiliations include the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Tanglewood Music Center, where he is Chairman of Instrumental and Orchestral Studies. Edwin Barker's solo CD recordings include Three Sonatas for Double Bass, on Boston Records, James Yannatos' Variations for Solo Contrabass, on Albany Records, and Concerti for Double Bass, on GM Recordings, which includes bass concerti by Gunther Schuller and Theodore Antoniou. Concerti for Contrabass also includes his highly praised performance of Tom Johnson's Failing , which was recorded live at Harvard University's Sanders Theater. Edwin Barker's latest solo offering on CD is a recently released performance of James Yannatos' Concerto for Contrabass with Collage. This episode originally aired on June 6, 2009. Enjoy!

This week's episode contains a recital I did about ten years ago on the Karr-Koussevitzky Double Bass. I was thrilled to have this opportunity and thought a lot about what sort of repertoire would be best suited for a recital like this. Eventually I settled on a traditional program that I thought tapped into some aspect of either Gary Karr or Koussevitzky. Lyric Opera of Chicago bassist Greg Sarchet was kind enough to set this event up for me at Northeastern Illinois University in their gorgeous recital hall. You'll hear the following pieces on this recital: Eccles Sonata (complete) Koussevitzky Valse Miniature Gliere Intermezzo Hindemith Sonata Massenet Meditation from "Thais" It's a live recital and has its share of mistakes for sure, but it's kind of cool to get a chance to hear that bass, and it was certainly a great opportunity for me to play on a piece of history. Enjoy--more interviews coming next week! Amati recital program NEIU (PDF)

This week, we bring you an interview with Indiana University double bass professor Kurt Muroki. Kurt is an outstanding performer, teacher, and artist, and we had a great conversation about teaching, learning, and performing. Enjoy! About Kurt Muroki: Former Artist Member with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Professor Kurt Muroki began his musical studies on the violin at the age of six and subsequently performed concerti with the Honolulu Symphony and the Maui Symphony. Mr. Muroki went on to study the Double bass at the age of 13 and entered the Juilliard School of Music at 17 studying with his teacher / mentor Homer R. Mensch. At the age of 21 Kurt began performing with the internationally renowned Sejong Soloists under ICM Management. Kurt has performed with the The Jupiter Chamber Players, Speculum Musicae, "Great Performers" series at Lincoln Center, Ensemble Sospeso, Sequitur, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Brooklyn Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, Tokyo Opera Nomori, New York City Ballet, 92nd St. Y, and Bargemusic. Festivals include Marlboro Music Festival, Festival L'Autonne at IRCAM, and Aspen Music Festival to name a few. Kurt is also active playing movies, commercials, popular, and classical recordings with titles including the Oscar winning film "The Departed", "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", "Hitch", "Julie and Julia", "The Manchurian Candidate", "Roger Daltrey Sings Pete Townshend" – The Who, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Itzhak Perlman. Mr. Muroki has won numerous competitions including 1st prize in the Aspen Music Festival double bass competition, the first bassist to win the New World Symphony concerto competition, and the Honolulu Symphony Young Artists competition. He has collaborated with members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Tokyo, Orion quartets, Ensemble Wein-Berlin, Jaime Laredo, Lynn Harrell, Maurice Bourgue, Toru Takemitsu, Peter Schickele, John Zorn, and Brian Ferneyhough among others, and has performed concerto tours throughout Asia and the United States. Professor Muroki is currently tenured faculty at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Artist/Lecturer at Stony Brook University, Distinguished Artist at the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University, faculty/Director of the Kaplan Fellowship program at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, teaches at New York String Orchestra Seminar, and has been a judge at the Yale Gordon Competition at Peabody Conservatory, ASTA, and others. Mr Muroki is a past Board Member of the International Society of Bassists and is a D'Addario Strings Artist.

We're featuring an interview from the podcast archives with Los Angeles Philharmonic bassist and University of Southern California bass instructor David Allen Moore on the podcast this week. David also teaches bass during the summer at the Domaine Forget program in Quebec. In this interview, we chat about his early years on the instrument, teachers that have influenced him, his time in the Houston Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic, challenges of learning repertoire for a professional orchestra, his studies with François Rabbath, German and French bow differences, and many other topics. After the interview, we feature a track of David playing the Bohemian Dance from Frank Proto's Carmen Fantasy. Enjoy! David's Faculty Page of USC Website Domaine Forget Festival About David: DAVID ALLEN MOORE graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Southern California in 1993 where he studied with Dennis Trembly, Paul Ellison, and John Clayton. Moore continued his studies in Boston, working privately with BSO principal bass Edwin Barker while performing with Boston Baroque, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Emmanuel Music, and the Boston Pops Esplanade orchestra. Moore performed as a substitute with the Los Angeles Philharmonic during the 1995/96 season, after which he was a member of the Houston Symphony bass section under maestro Christoph Eschenbach, from 1996 to 1999. In January of 2000 Moore became a full-time member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's bass section and was promoted to the 4th chair by audition in October of the same year. Moore has participated in numerous festivals including Tanglewood, the Grand Teton Music Festival, Mainly Mozart, the Portland Chamber Music Festival, and Kent/Blossom Summer Music Festival. He is an active recitalist and chamber musician, having performed in the Houston area with the Greenbriar Consortium, in Los Angeles with the Philharmonic's New Music Group, and in San Diego with the Mainly Mozart Festival. He has been a featured clinician at the 2012 TCU International Double Bass Festival, the 2011 International Society of Bassists convention, the 1999 Texas Double Bass Symposium. From 2003-2009 Moore was a faculty member at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles. Moore has been a faculty member of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music since 2000, and since the Fall of 2010 he has been part of the full-time faculty as an Assistant Professor while maintaining his position in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Since 2007 Moore has been a faculty member at Domaine Forget in Quebec, Canada. In November of 2007 he began studies with internationally renowned double bass pedagogue and soloist François Rabbath in Paris. Moore received both the Diploma and Teaching Certificate from the Institut International Rabbath in February of 2009. Moore has presented clinics and master classes at Juilliard, The Curtis Institute of Music, Northwestern University, and Rice University, among others. He has former students performing in major orchestras in The U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia. The double bass that Moore performs on with the Philharmonic is an instrument by Nicolo Gagliano made in 1735.His solo bass is a modern instrument by French luthier Christian Laborie. Moore uses bows designed especially for him by Paris bowmaker Boris Fritsch that are a unique French/German hybrid and are designed to be played either overhand or underhand. T his interview originally aired on July 18, 2009 on CBC Episode 128.

We are thrilled to bring you this interview with Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Bass Alex Hanna. In addition to his responsibilities leading the bass section of the CSO, Alex teaches double bass at DePaul University and is active as a clinician, soloist, and chamber musician. About Alex: Inspired by the sound of the symphony orchestra, Alexander Hanna at age 13 decided to pursue a career as a bassist. Throughout his youth, after beginning music studies on the piano at age 4, he performed as a recitalist on both piano and bass and also as a soloist with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra on both instruments. In 2004, he was invited to study at the Curtis Institute of Music with Hal Robinson and Edgar Meyer. In 2012, Riccardo Muti appointed Hanna as principal bass of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He had served four years as principal bass of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Alex will be performing the Vanhal Concerto with the Chicago Symphony December 17-19, 2015. We feature excerpts from Alex performing this concerto with the Bellingham Festival Orchestra, Michael Palmer conducting. Enjoy!