Announcements

Send your news and announcements for the ISB's E-Bass Line newsletter to .

Added 11/23/2011

The ISB sends out a big happy birthday to its founder, Gary Karr, who turns 70 years young on November 20th. Email your birthday greetings for Gary to and we'll forward to him to make this milestone birthday an extra special celebration.

Bradetich Foundation Solo Competition gold medal winner Artem Chirkov performs at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in New York City at 2 PM on Saturday December 10th. Order tickets online or call the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 212-247-7800.

Bassist / vocalist Jay Leonhart and friends perform the music of Duke Ellington and others, including a musical tribute to the late, great jazz bassist Milt Hinton to celebrate the 20th year anniversary of the Milt Hinton Jazz Series, Monday, December 5th at City University New York's Baruch Performing Arts Center.

John Clayton will be at Valdosta State University, Georgia, for bass classes and a big band concert appearance Thursday, December 1st. For more information email Tod Leavitt, .

Stefano Sciascia recently gave a masterclass for students of Trinity College double bass professor Chris West in Greenwich, England. Stefano is pictured above, center with bass with Chris and his class. Click here to watch a video clip of Stefano's 2011 ISB convention recital with pianist Dianne Frazer.

Leon Bosch will record the complete works for double bass by Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf with The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, November 15-17, 2011. His co-soloist for the Sinfonia Concertante and the Duetto will be Robert Smissen, the orchestra's principal violist. His latest CD of works by Allan Stephenson is available on the ISB online store.

L'Orchestre de Contrebasses will give concerts at the Vingtieme Theatre in Paris, December 26th-27th, and January 2nd-3rd.

The next conference of the Jazz Education Network is January 4-7, 2012 in Louisville, Kentucky. Click here for more information about presenters and to register.

The application deadline for the 2012 Stulberg International String Competition is Friday, January 27, 2012. Go to www.stulberg.org for more information and to apply. Competition is Saturday, May 19, 2012 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Questions? Contact Liz Rohs, 269/343-2776 or email .

Go to www.orangethenblue.com to learn more about Mingus on Mingus, a documentary in the making about the journey of a grandson searching for the truth behind the legend of the grandfather he never knew.

Noah Sund, above, son of the ISB's favorite illustrator Scott Sund, celebrated Halloween last month as a musical Spiderman (safer than the Spiderman musical, for sure!) With great bass lines comes great responsibility. . .

Click here to read the University of Wisconsin-Madison's recent profile of jazz bassist and educator Richard Davis.

New on the ISB's website! Under the News & Events page, there's a Newsletters link to check out out past online issues.

Ryan Baird performed Frank Proto's "Fantasy for Double Bass and Orchestra" with the Baylor University Symphony on October 6th.

The London Sinfonietta gave the world premiere of Dai Fujikura's new bass concerto with soloist and principal bass Enno Senft on November 5th in the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall. The composition is influenced by the shamisen, a Japanese plucked instrument similar to a guitar.

Peter Askim, music director and composer-in-residence at the Idyllwild Arts Academy was recently honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for his efforts in promoting new music and outreach to composers.

Click here to take a survey on orchestra auditions, part of ISB member Asli Yetisener's research for her doctorate dissertation. (Password to enter the survey is "doublebass", all lower case and no spaces.) Email with questions.

Click here to view Edgar Meyer's appearance on The Colbert Report with his bandmates YoYo Ma, Chris Thile, and Stuart Duncan in support of their new CD, "The Goat Rodeo Sessions."

Click here to view Martin Wind's new project "Turn Out the Stars: Music Written or Inspired by Bill Evans" for jazz quartet and orchestra, with Scott Robinson, pianist Bill Cunliffe and drummer Joe LaBarbera and the Orchestra Filarmonica Marcigiana. And here's another clip, "Blue in Green."

Click here to listen to an NPR "Tiny Desk Concert" by Ben Williams and his group Sound Effect in support of his new CD "State of Art."

Click here to watch Dan Styffe's world premiere performance of a new douible bass concerto by Rolf Martinsson.

Susan Wulff and Evona Wascinski are profiled in a story about the recent Fourth Annual San Diego Bass Summit.

Click here to view video of Luis Cojal's recital at the 2011 International Barcelona Bass Meeting.

The Sybarite5 string quintet, including ISB member Louis Levitt, double bass, received the "Sylvia Ann Hewlett Adventurous Artist Prize" in the 2011 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition. More than 400 applicants submitted recordings and eventually a dozen finalists performed in New York City on October 19th. Read about the Sybarite 5's campaign to play chamber music in all 50 U.S. states!

Click here for new links to view and hear San Francisco Symphony principal Scott Pingel performing the Vanhal concerto on the Karr-Koussevistzky Bass.

You can add one more accomplishment to Ron Carter's extensive resume — he's a character, along with Roy Haynes, in the new mystery novel Shades of Blue by Bill Moody. His latest CD is Ron Carter's Great Big Band.

The American Federation of Musicians will again be supporting a provision for musical instruments as carry-on / checked luggage on airplanes in the FAA reauthorization bill in 2011. Due to other issues within the bill, it did not pass this year and must be reintroduced. The AFM will again seek a uniform national policy regarding musical instruments that will apply to all major airlines. In order to gain support in Congress for this legislation, the AFM must demonstrate that musicians have problems every day with airline travel. Send your personal stories of airline travel issues to Hal Ponder at , or Laura Brigandi, . In order to be relevant, the complaint should be about an occurrence within the last year.

Tarisio Auctions has launched a $10,000 string instrument grant designed to help young musicians at the start of their careers. The Tarisio Matching Grant Program awards up to $10,000 of matching funds towards the purchase of a string instrument or bow in one of Tarisio's fine auctions. It is open to players aged under 30 who are currently enrolled in or have graduated from a music performance degree program. The winner is drawn at random two weeks before the auction. There are four auctions per year, two in London and two in New York. Application deadline for the upcoming March 2011 auction in London is February 24th. Application deadline for the May 2011 auction in New York is April 22nd. For more information and to apply, go to http://tarisio.com/pages/about/grantinfo.php.

Music Bringing Us All Together

Click here to view and listen to video clips from 2009's "Deep Tones for Peace," held on a worldwide virtual stage, featuring Mark Dresser, Barre Phillips, Henry Grimes, Chi-chi Nwanoku, Bert Turetzky, William Parker, Rufus Reid, Irina-Kalina Goudeva, Thierry Barbé, J.C. Jones and others in solo and ensemble performances.

Listen to "The Cool Jazz Set," hosted by ISB member Paul Pearce, to hear some of your favorite jazz artists each week live at 7 PM EST at www.wdce.org, or later at www.cooljazzset.com.

Learn more about the life and legacy of the late, great bassist Red Mitchell at the newly relaunched website www.redmitchell.com.

Added 10/03/2011

Amati Orchestra
The Amati Orchestra aims to become one of the finest non-professional symphony orchestras in the country. Based in the City of London. Welcoming adult amateurs Grade 7+.

Arioso Orchestra
The Arioso Orchestra is a platform for adult amateurs of at least Grade 5/6+ standard to rehearse and perform exciting masterpieces in intense detail and to a high standard under a professional conductor. Based in the City of London.

Added 05/29/2011

Tim Cobb will join the New York Philharmonic as acting principal bass for the 2011-12 season. Tim is on leave from the Metropolitan Opera, where he is principal bass. The New York Philharmonic has four bass vacancies to fill, including the principal and associate principal positions.

Added 05/22/2011

Anthony Manzo, principal bass with the New Century Chamber Orchestra and faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Music, will be in residence at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, for the Bank of America Chamber Music Series from May 27 - June 12. Works with bass performed include: Golijov Lullaby and Doina, Mendelssohn Sextet, Prokofiev Quintet, Farrenc Piano Quintet No. 1, Schubert "Trout" Quintet, and Tom Johnson's Failing. More info at: http://www.spoletousa.org/home/.

The Oklahoma City University Bass Ensemble presented eleven school performances in two days in May while touring the North Dallas, TX area. Directed by John Schimek, professor of double bass, the ensemble included ISB members Sarah Barnaby, Hamilton Pyburn, Brendan Bradford, Alex Smith, Eric Carter and Elizabeth Roewe.

If you haven't seen this before, here's a "cirque du bass" act that gives new meaning to the term, "walking bass."

Added 05/17/2011

Besides being a world famous performing duo, Gary Karr and Harmon Lewis are master gardeners whose artistry with flowers and foliage was on display during a recent tour to raise funds for a local music conservatory. Watch this slideshow of the photos. You may put your mouse over the images to see captions or pause on the current image.

The Strad reports that the Library of Congress has put thousands of Victor Talking Machine recordings from 1901-1925 online, read more at http://thestrad.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=1875.

At the 2011 National Solo Competition, Senior Division First Place Winners in the double bass division were Jonathan Hammonds of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Chengyin Iv of Denton, Texas (a tie). The Junior Division First Place Winner was Jackie Johnson of Plano, Texas. Congratulations!

Added 05/10/2011

Bassist Ben Wallek, winner of the Reno (Nevada) Pops Orchestra Concerto Festival, will perform Peter Askim's "Islands" Concerto with the orchestra during a free concert on Saturday, May 21, 2011, 7 PM, at Nightingale Concert Hall. The program, with a high seas theme, also includes music by Christopher Gordon, Alan Hovhaness and John Williams.

View and hear San Francisco Symphony principal Scott Pingel performing the Vanhal concerto on the Karr-Koussevistzky Bass at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV4oERvKptE&feature=related.

The 2011 OK Bass Bash will be held at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, July 27-30, 2011. The 4-day camp for bassists ages 12 to 18 features private instruction, technique classes, ensembles, All-State classes and a jazz workshop. Beginning and advanced theory classes, plus Aaron Reiley from The Guarneri House will give demonstrations about bass upkeep and repair. The faculty includes Anthony Stoops (University of Oklahoma), George Speed (Oklahoma State University), Mark Osborn (Norman Public Schools), Larry Moore (Casady School), Jeff Ketch (Edmond Public Schools), and Michael Rybiski (Richardson (Texas) ISD). For more information, go to http://www.okbassbash.com/events.html.

Added 04/25/2011

The fourth International Serge Koussevitzky Double Bass Competition takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia, December 4-12, 2011. For more information go to www.bassacademy.ru.

Paul Sharpe will host the 3rd UNCSA Double Bass Workshop at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC, Saturday, June 26th through Friday, July 1st. Daily technique classes, bass ensemble, orchestral excerpt classes, solo masterclasses, and working one-on-one with Paul Sharpe for private lessons. Topics include motivation, practice techniques, memorization, improvisation, and strategies for dealing with performance anxiety. To register and apply go to http://www.uncsa.edu/summersession/music.htm.

For twenty years the National Radio in Sofia, Bulgaria, has opened "Musician of the Year" voting to the public . For the year 2010, that honoree is Petia Bagovska — congratulations from your friends and fans in the ISB, Petia! In other news, four of her students — Georg Mitev, Joel Mitev, Hristo Ovcharov and Stanislav Georgiev, all from Bulgaria — took first prizes in a string competition that took place in April in Nis, Serbia. In the 19 and older division, another bassist, Milan Milanov of Serbia, received a special prize.

Added 04/15/2011

Besides his Thursday, June 9th recital at the ISB convention at San Francisco State University, Catalin Rotaru appears was a recitalist and clinician at the Kontrabass Kaleidoscope in Michaelstein-Germany in March, and will also perform at the Universidade do Minho — Braga, Portugal, in May, at the Winter Music Festival in Campos do Jordao, Brazil and at the International Music Festival in Uberlandia, Brazil in July, and solo with the National Symphony Orchestra of Paraguay in August. He will be a judge and clinician for the double bass camp/competition in Capbreton, France in August, and perform at the Contrabajos de Baja California bass camp, Tijuana, Mexico in October, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Mexico City in November. He will be a judge for the Koussevitzky double bass competition in St. Petersburg, Russia in December, and appear as soloist with the "Virtuosi" festival orchestra in Recife, Brazil in December.

ISB member Emily Brown is a featured performer on National Public Radio and Public Television's "From the Top" show, the week of May 2, 2011 and taped live in Monterey, California. She played Francois Rabbath's "War & Peace," and was part of the show-closing (and stopping!) quintet with special guest artist, the superstar ukulele master Jake Shimabukura, "From the Top" alum Charles Yang on violin, and Roberto Granados, a 12-yr old Flamenco guitarist. Go to http://www.youtube.com/fromthetop to enjoy the show.

Gaelen McCormick, professor at Nazareth College (Rochester, NY) will perform Nancy Strelau's Bass Concerto on April 10, 2011 in the Wilmot Recital Hall. This is the first performance of the concerto with its new piano reduction. The work was written for and premiered with orchestra by Deborah Dunham in 1991.

Congratulations to 2005 ISB solo competition winner Yann Dubost, who just won a position as co-principal bass with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in Paris.

Christine Hoock's summer course takes place August 24th to September 1st at the Fondazione Musicale santa Cecilia, Portogruaro, Italy. International masterclass and concerts in a great atmosphere, scholarships possible. For information go to http://www.fmsantacecilia.it/. For an application or with questions, contact .

Carnegie Hall and The Royal Conservatory have partnered to create the Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory Achievement Program, a national system of music study and assessment for students and teachers.

The Achievement Program offers a sequential course of study from beginner through advanced levels and is modeled on the internationally renowned program and examination system developed by The Royal Conservatory in Canada. The Achievement Program will support and empower independent music teachers by providing opportunities for high-quality professional development and innovative resources. It provides comprehensive materials and tools for music educators including sequential program guides, repertoire lists, and online educational resources. Official program syllabi are available for most instruments including keyboard, strings, woodwinds, brass, and voice. Assessments also include musicianship and academic subjects such as music theory, music history, and pedagogy.

Teachers and students can participate in The Achievement Program anywhere in the United States. The program will hold assessments several times a year with upcoming dates and registration information listed on its website. Students of all ages can currently take assessments in 90 U.S. locations, with the number of locations expected to grow. For more information go to http://www.theachievementprogram.org/.

Added 04/11/2011

The University of Nebraska Lincoln announces a position open for Assistant Professor of Double Bass and Jazz Studies.

Tarisio Auctions is offering the "Delmas" Maggini Bass at auction on May 5, 2011.

Musically adventurous trio The Bad Plus, ISB member Reid Anderson, bassist, has embarked on a recreation of the entire score of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring," a commission from Duke University and the Lincoln Center. Listen to the NPR interview and a rehearsal recording.

Not only is he a jazz bassist extraordinaire, but he's also a world class storyteller! Listen to Christian McBride tell how he first played with his hero, Freddie Hubbard, on the Moth Radio Show.

George Amorim, double bass professor at the University of Texas Pan American, will perform the Dragonetti Concerto with the University Orchestra on April 15th, at the Library Media Theater on the UTPA Campus in Edinburg, TX.

2007 ISB solo competition winner Gunars Upatnieks has won the audition and will be joining the Berlin Philharmonic. Congratulations, Gunars!

On March 20, 2011, Per Knudsen of the Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester, Sønderborg, Denmark, performed Concerto No. 1 by Franz Leopold Anton Joseph Keyper. Keyper was a bassist in the Royal Opera Orchestra in Copenhagen from 1788 to 1815, and this was possibly the world premiere performance of this concerto. Per also performed the fifth concerto by Keyper in 2007. Keyper composed seven concertos for double bass, available on the Royal Library website. Knudsen hopes to publish this concerto and perhaps the rest with piano accompaniments. The second movement of the first concerto is known to bassists as Romance, published by Yorke Edition with a Rondo from the second concerto. Keyper himself combined these two movements into a separate piece.

As reported by The Strad, two days before Royal Shakespeare Company actor Christopher Hunter was set to open in Patrick Süskind's one-man play The Double Bass in London, his prop double bass was stolen as he unpacked his van outside the theater. But the show must go on, and he was able to borrow an even nicer instrument for the run of the show for a mere 10 pounds rental fee. We'd call that deal a real steal.

The University of Texas Pan American and ¡Viva el Bajo! Bass Club hosted James VanDemark (Eastmen School of Music) on March 31st for a masterclass, where he worked with a dozen bassists. Check out photos of the event.

Added before 04/11/2011

Lynn Seaton and Jeffry Eckels are double bass faculty members for the University of North Texas Jazz Combo Workshop, July 17-22, 2011 in Denton Texas. For more information contact Mike Steinel, 940/565-3758 or 940/565-3743, michael.steinel@unt.edu.

The Kansas City Bass Workshop,  July 18-21, 2011, is open to all ages and abilities and all styles of playing. The faculty includes Donovan Stokes, Hans Sturm, Tracy Rowell and Johnny Hamil. Masterclasses, solo performances and recitals, small and large bass ensembles, including a final concert. For more information or to make your reservation contact John Hamil, (816) 305-7559, jhamil@kc.rr.com.

The Bass Coalition 2011 Summer Workshop will be held July 9-10, 2011 at Shenandoah University-Conservatory in Winchester, VA. Faculty will include Donovan Stokes, Inez Wyrick, and guest artist Peter Dominguez of the Oberlin Conservatory and will include masterclasses, lessons, chamber music and ensemble performances by faculty and participants.  Go to www.basscoalition.com for more info!

Scholarship auditions for the Performing Arts Institute, an international summer program for serious high school students of music, theater and dance, are coming up. Located in Kingston Pennsylvania, PAI's musical theater program offers intense training in voice, dance and theater arts. For classical music majors, private lessons, chamber group coaching, chamber and symphony orchestra, choir participation is offered daily. For more information go to http://www.wyomingseminary.org/page.cfm?p=518.

Jeffry Eckels, double bass professor at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, will be on the faculty at the University of North Carolina Summer Jazz Workshop, June 20-24, 2011.  The UNC Summer Jazz Workshop provides an opportunity for high school seniors, college students, band directors and post-graduate adults in the community to receive 3.0 college credit hours studying jazz theory and improvisation, playing in a combo, participating in group lessons, and enjoying evening concerts.  Younger students (high school freshman to juniors) can enroll for afternoon and evening events. For more information and application forms, click here.

Zbigniew Borowicz will give a faculty recital on March 24th, 8 PM at Laval University  in Quebec, Canada. He will present a program of short works, "The Repertoire of My Students, Part 2," by J.S.Bach, Marcello, Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak, Brahms and others.

Esra Gül, professor at the Anadolu University  State Conservatory Double Bass Department  and member of Borusan Istanbul Philarmonic Orchestra, dedicates her 2011 recitals to Teppo Hauto-Aho in honor of his 70th birthday on May 27th: May 6th at the Istanbul Borusan Music Hause; May 27th at the Anadolu University in Eskisehir, Turkey; June 8th at the ISB Convention at San Francisco State University; and September 11th at the International Double Bass Convention in Brno, the Czech Republic. Besides compositions by Teppo Hauto-aho, she will be performing works by Frank Proto, Francois Rabbath and Tom Knific.

The 18th annual Oklahoma City University Summer Bass Camp will be held July 17-23, 2011, in the Wanda L. Bass Music Center on the campus of Oklahoma City University. Directed by ISB board member and professor of double bass John Schimek, the camp is open to high school and college-aged students. Orchestra directors who would like to come for some review work on the bass are invited to participate. For more information or to download an application visit Facebook: Oklahoma City University Bass Camp and click on the photos tab.

The first movement of Gary A. Edwards' new 20-minute "Double Bass Concerto No. 1" will be premiered on May 25, 2011 by the Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) High School String Ensemble Concert, Jim Phillips, conductor. Gary studied with Murray Grodner and graduated from Indiana University School of Music in 1964. He has played with the Spokane (Washington) Symphony and the Louisville (Kentucky) Symphony Orchestra for a time. For more information contact gedward@roadrunner.com.

Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla 2010 has announced its Giraldillo prizes. ISB member Renaud Garcia Fons received an award, the first for a bassist from this organization, for his performance in "Sin muros!"

ISB past president Hans Sturm will teach bass and coach chamber music at the Benefic Chamber Music Camp, July 31st - August 6th at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The week-long camp for ages 15 to 20 includes daily chamber music coachings, private lessons focused on mastering assigned chamber music repertoire, masterclasses (including Boris Astafiev, member of the Cincinnati Symphony Bass Section), faculty concerts and student chamber music performances. Bonus programs include musician's development seminars and workshops will be offered including presentations on health and wellness, the art of recording, improvisation, sight-reading, audition preparation and instrument maintenance. The application fee is waived for students applying before March 15th and reduced tuition is offered for students applying before May 10th. For more information go to www.BeneficMusic.com.

Bert Turetzky celebrated his recent birthday at the Idyllwild Academy of the Arts, where he gave a masterclass. Pictured L to R are Alejandro Barron, jazz bass instructor Marshall Hawkins, Bert, Michael Minor and Josephine Kim.

Go to www.barcelonabass.com for more information on a double bass weekend in Barcelona, Spain, May 28th-29th, organized by Jonathan Camps of the l'Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya and professor of bass at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya.

Congratulations to bassist/vocalist/composer Esperanza Spalding for her 2011 Grammy Award as Best New Artist! She was recently in residence at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, and is pictured here giving some performance tips to Gene Knific, son of WMU double bass professor Tom Knific.

Check out this video footage of bass strings in action during a jazz set. It looks like trick photography, but it's not! http://vimeo.com/4041788

Xavier Foley, age 16 was  second prizewinner in the junior division of the 2011 Sphinx Competition, held in Detroit, Michigan. The Marietta, Georgia native competed against all instruments in the string family as the only bassist in either the junior or senior division. He was principal bass with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2009-2010, and was first prize winner in the age 14 and Under division of the 2009 ISB Double Bass Competition.

Anthony Manzo, principal bassist with the New Century Chamber Orchestra and faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Music, will perform the Mozart concert aria "Per Questa Bella Mano" with bass/baritone Thomas Quasthoff and Camerata Salzburg in concerts on March 20th and 21st in the Konzerthaus in Vienna, March 23rd in the Palast der Künste in Budapest, and March 25th in the Sanat Kultur Merkezi in Istanbul, Turkey.

Volkan Orhon performed Bottesini's Concerto No.2 with the Muscatine (Iowa) Symphony Orchestra on February 12th at 7:30 at the Muscatine Center for the Performing Arts. 

The 7th Annual Iowa City Bass Day, hosted by University of Iowa professor of bass Volkan Orhon, takes place April 23rd at the University of Iowa School of Music with guest artist Anthony Stoops, professor of bass at the University of Oklahoma. For more information go to www.volkanbass.com.

The Swedish Cultural Ministry is sending bassist-composer Tuomo Haapala and filmmaker Håkan Wennström to a school where they stage what Haapala calls a "Fantasy-attack" for solo bass and film. He arrives unexpected in a classroom and starts playing, without a word, pieces from his collection "Music for the Deep Violin" (www.isbstore.com/printed-music.html). Most pupils sit in stunned silence. After 10 minutes, Håkan Wennström comes in and starts filming while the music continues. Everything is projected on a wide screen. Then Wennström kneels down and puts his camera lens in front of the f-hole of Haapala's bass and a fictional journey is projected on the screen, including worms in the earth, a cow in a green field, and a football match. The pupils are then invited to create their own projects combining music and film. The grand finale will be a music and film festival at the Valla School in Katrineholm, Sweden on April 14th.

The Amati Orchestra, an advanced new amateur symphony orchestra in London, England, seeks bassists (adult amateurs, grade 7+ standard) to rehearse and perform symphonic works to a high standard. Work under a professional conductor, Leo Patsalides, no audition necessary but you will need excellent technique, listening skills, energy and focus. Contact Hannah at amati@hotmail.co.uk.

The 6th International Johann-Matthias Sperger Double Bass Competition took place in Castle Namedy near Andernach, Germany in September. Thirty-six contestants from South Korea, Romania, France, Poland, Germany, Serbia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Turkey, Russia, Spain and England performed a Sperger sonata in the first round and a Sperger concerto for the third round, plus a new composition by bassist/composer Arni Egilsson, "European Memories." The judges' panel included Günter Klaus, chair, Arni Egilsson, Thierry Barbé, Lee Ho Gyo, Dorin Marc, Alexander Shilo, Radoslav Sasina, Miloslav Jelinek and Roman Patkolo. Klaus Trumpf was director of the competition. First prize was awarded to Soung Mikyung of South Korea, which included engagements for concerts with orchestras in Koblenz, Neubranderburg, Dessau, Lodz and Melkengurg. Second prize was awarded to Firlus Krystoph (Poland), and third prize went to Jakub Fortuna (Romania).

The popular double bass ensemble Bassiona Amorosa  performed for an enthusiastic audience on Carnegie Hall's Perelman Stage this past October. Founded in 1996 by Klaus Trumpf, the group has given more than 500 concerts in Europe, Asia and the U.S. The lineup for the Carnegie Hall concert included Roman Patkoló, co-principal bass with the Zürich Opera Orchestra, Andrew Lee, a prizewinner in the Simandl and Koussevitzky double bass competitions, Ljubinko Lazie, principal bass with the Philharmonic Orchestra in Belgrad, Serbia, Jan Jirmasek, co-principal bass with the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra in the Czech Republic, Giorgi Makhoshvili, an in-demand freelance bassist from Munich, Germany, and Min Jea Soung, first prize winner of the Sperger and Koussevitzky competitions. Bassiona Amorosa extends heartfelt thanks to David Gage String Instruments for making instruments available for the Carnegie Hall Concert.

The Toomai String Quintet was formed at Juilliard and won the 92nd St. Y's Music Unlocked! Competition for emerging ensembles in 2007. Violinists Emilie-Anne Gendron and Pala García, violist Erin Wight, cellist John Popham and bassist Andrew Roitstein named their group after Rudyard Kipling's short story "Toomai of the Elephants," in which a young boy journeys into the jungle to witness the dance of the wild elephants. On February 24th, they'll perform at the Issue Project Room at the Old American Can Factory in Brooklyn at 8 PM. For more information, Click here.

The American Federation of Musicians will again be supporting a provision for musical instruments as carry-on / checked luggage on airplanes in the FAA reauthorization bill in 2011. Due to other issues within the bill, it did not pass this year and must be reintroduced. The AFM will again seek a uniform national policy
regarding musical instruments that will apply to all major airlines.

The North Texas Double Bass Camps at the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, feature four opportunities for summer study that meet the needs of bass students of any age or playing ability: 1) The 23rd annual Bradetich Master Classes, June 13-17, 2011; 2) the Beginners and Intermediate Bass Camp, June 15-17, 2011; 3) the Pirastro Strings Elite Soloists Program, May 30 – June 3, 2011; and 4) the Lynn Seaton Jazz Bass Workshop, June 13-17, 2011. For information go to http://music.unt.edu/strings/untbasscamp.shtml.

The Mittenwald International Master Classes, August 1-6, 2011, with Jeff Bradetich will be held in Mittenwald, Germany. For information go to www.music.unt.edu/mittenwald.

The Hammond Ashley Memorial Double Bass Workshop will be held at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington, June 27-July 1, 2011, offering advanced classes with Max Dimoff, principal bass of the Cleveland Orchestra and Jeff Bradetich.  Beginner, intermediate and adult classes will be taught by Todd Gowers, Ben Musa and Miriam Chong. Contact Todd Gowers at toddgowers@wwdb.org.

Jeff Campbell, jazz bassist and professor at the Eastman School of Music, and his family band were guest artists with the Rochester Philharmonic, playing six concerts in December. Click here to check it out!

Rufus Reid is one of eight composers chosen for the American Composers Orchestra and the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Readings, June 4-6, 2011. Participants will get feedback from the conductor, composers-in-residence and members of the orchestra on clarity of the score and preparation of parts, orchestration and more, culminating in a concert of all eight compositions.

Watch The Ohio State University Double Bass Ensemble play a special arrangement of the Edgar Meyer/Victor Wooten duo "Lonesome Pine Special" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiU72qjdHdw.

The 2011 Recital Music Composition Competition for Double Bass is open to composers of any age or nationality, and works written in any style or idiom. Categories for unaccompanied double bass or bass with piano or string orchestra, and works for one or more double basses with other instruments. Competition rules at www.recitalmusic.net, competition deadline is April 15, 2011.

Pop-up orchestras, the brain child of Manchester, England-based double bassist Heather Bird, were organized to give simultaneous renditions of Lalo Schifrin's "Mission Impossible" theme in the streets and shopping centers of London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Cardiff and Liverpool in December. The Guerilla Orchestra is protesting proposed government cuts to teacher funding for conservatory and university level music education, which would substantially increase the debt burden for young musicians when they graduate.

Learn more about the life and legacy of the late, great bassist Red Mitchell at the newly relaunched website www.redmitchell.com.

Nearly 100 participants from 15 countries took part in the 10th International Double Bass Convention, held at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno, Czech Republic and organized by artistic director Miloslav Jelínek and the JAMU faculty in co-operation with the Czech Double Bass Society. There were seven days of classical and jazz concerts, classes and exhibits, plus a competition in two categories. In the age 20 and under division, first prize was awarded to Oskars Bokanovs (Latvia), second prize to Caio Mesquita (Brazil) and third prize went to Ze Zhang Jian (China). In the age 20 to 30 division, Petr Vašinka (Czech Republic) won first prize, second prize was awarded to Namgyun-Joshua Kim (Korea), and third prize to Marek Švestka (Czech Republic). An honorable mention was given to Svoboda Bozduganova (Bulgaria).

Bass makers Guy Cole and Mario Lamarre won gold medals at the recent VSA Competition, held in Cleveland, OH. Congratulations to Guy and Mario!

To watch and listen to the modern world premiere of Dragonetti's Concerto in D by double bassist John Feeney, performing with the American Classical Orchestra, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQN1kW6DOUI. The manuscript of this rousing and applause-worthy concerto was filed away in the British Library for 160 years and recently rediscovered by Feeney, along with other works by the composer.

Read Frank Proto's appreciation of his friend and frequent collaborator, the late conductor David Stahl and friend of the bass, at http://www.liben.com/stahlappreciation.html. Stahl was on the podium for recordings of many of Proto's popular works for double bass and orchestra, including Fantasy for Double Bass and Orchestra and his Carmen Fantasy.

There is a music lessons scam email going around, received by some members listed in our ISB email directory. They have been contacted by a person who wants to arrange for lessons for a child, since his family is going to be traveling to the U.S. The scammer will send a counterfeit check that is far more than the cost of lessons arranged. The scammer will then ask the intended scam victim to send the overpayment back as a wire transfer or Western Union money order. The scammer might even been as bold as to be in touch with intended victims by telephone. To learn more about and / or to report a scam email, go to http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams/e-scams.

Ali Yazdanfar, Etienne LaFrance, David Allen Moore, Nicholas Walker, François Rabbath and Paul Ellison were faculty members for the annual International Music Academy summer course for bassists at Le Domaine Forget in rural Quebec, Canada. Six days a week for four, the focus was on experiential learning through an intense rotating schedule of private lessons and daily masterclasses that guaranteed time with every teacher for the 28 participants. There were some 70 applicants for the course. Reports Renaud Boucher-Browning, a high school senior at the time, "At the end of the program, each student takes home upwards of thirty pages of exercises, painstakingly prepared by their dedicated teachers, to work on over the coming years." Says Greg Vartian-Foss, a junior at Indiana University studying with Bruce Bransby, "The most important lesson I learned from all the teachers and students is that one's commitment must be to never stop learning." For more information go to http://www.domaineforget.com/en/1/stages/double-bass.

Animated Basses to Benefit Grammy Music Education Programs. To see the decorated basses, click here.

Check out the sound of Diego Stocco's "Experibass" on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdYj7dMYwxM.

Click Here to listen to Ron Carter's appearance on Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" show on NPR.

Sonia Ray has launched the "Speak Little Bass" Project to help children in Brazil learn more about playing and having fun with the double bass. Go to www.soniaray.com/falabaixinho

Ron Carter was honored by the French Ministry of Culture on January 12, 2010 when he was inducted in a Paris ceremony as a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, the highest honor bestowed upon those who have significantly contributed to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance.

To download podcasts of Paul Pearce's Sunday evening "Cool Jazz Set" radio program: 1) go to www.radio4all.net; 2) click on Browse "by Contributor"; 3) click on "W"  and then click on "WDCE"; 4) go to the show (date) you want, and click on it — then click on the RED arrow.

Listen here to Christian McBride's guest turn on Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" on National Public Radio

Click here to read an interview on NPR's jazz themed "Blog Supreme" with bassist Tatsu Aoki, executive director of Asian Improv aRts Midwest and founder and artistic director of the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival. Aoki performed at the festival with his Miyumi Project ensemble, which combines Taiko drums with bass and woodwinds. And while you're there, click here to catch up with Christian McBride, live at the Village Vanguard.

Here's a video clip to view if you're interested in a new school of walking bass technique!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q8Gvwc2GyQ

Click here to read about the musical collaboration of banjoist Bela Fleck, bassist Edgar Meyer, and tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain on the NPR website. The three have released a new album that includes a triple concerto performed with the Detroit Symphony.

The University of Maryland School of Music welcomes Richard Barber and Anthony Manzo to its double bass faculty. They join Robert Oppelt and Tom Baldwin on the bass teaching team at UMD. For more information visit: www.music.umd.edu

Follow these links to view footage of the late jazz bassist Red Mitchell with pianist Bill Mays playing:

Well, You Needn't

‘Round Midnight

Klactoveesedstene

I Mean You

Video and audio clips featuring composer, Louisiana Philharmonic principal and jazz/funk bassist Dave "Symphony Boy" Anderson, include a live recording of his new Sonata No. 2 for double bass and piano recently performed by his friend and commissioner Hal Robinson, principal bass of The Philadelphia Orchestra, can be found at these links:

Contrabassconversations

YouTube

You Send It

Early Music America awarded Jerry Fuller, Evanston, the Early Music Outreach Award for his work Midwest Young Artists (MYA), one of the leading youth music ensemble programs in the Midwest. In addition to his work with MYA, Fuller is principal double bassist of The Baroque Band and a member of the period instrument forces for Chicago's Music of the Baroque and Chicago Opera Theater.  He is the director of Ars Antigua, and has written about period instruments and performance practice for The Strad, Double Bassist, and Bass World magazines.

The Strad magazine has started a free service to help reunite stringed instrument owners with lost or stolen instruments. If your bass has been lost or stolen in the last few months, go online to www.thestrad.com/lostandstoleninfo and fill out details to be added to the database. The information will then appear to the public on our website from May on, so that readers of The Strad and visitors to www.thestrad.com throughout the world can be alert and aware of lost/stolen instruments if and when they surface.

Deep Tones for Peace Now! is a daily streaming of live meditations for peace in the Middle East over the Internet using ustream.tv The idea is to play your bass for 5-30 minutes with the intent of musically sending vibrations for peace to be viewed throughout the world. This is open to all bassists who wish to participate in an ongoing musical transmission for peace. Any style or form of music and any level bass player can participate. The main requirement is the intent and desire to create peace in the world. We truly believe this project will have an impact on the balance of life. This is part of a larger project, Deep Tones for Peace,  For more information on how to participate in Deep Tones for Peace Now go to  http://deeptonesforpeace.org/live/.

Girl seeks scroll, object, reunion! Jennifer Godfrey is looking for and wishes to purchase a particular double bass scroll (possibly attached to a neck.) Last seen, it had reddish varnish, old brass tuners, partial neck attached, and was in good condition. The scroll belongs to a bass formerly owned by the late John J. Brown who studied at University of Minnesota, Columbia University, Indiana University, and played in the Minneapolis Symphony for five years, the Indianapolis Symphony for one year, and the U.S. Air Force Band for two years. He also played at the summer festivals Peter Britt Gardens Music and the Fine Arts Festival in Jacksonville, OR. He retired from teaching in the public schools of Edmonds and Everett, WA, and also played in the Cascade Symphony in WA. This scroll was last known to be seen by John Brown and his deceased immediate family. Please contact Jennifer if you think you have this scroll, knew John J. Brown, or if you have any information about this scroll. Email godfrey33@juno.com.

Peter Derenski is searching for information regarding the whereabouts of his grandfather's bass for sentimental reasons. His grandfather was Frank Kieca, and he played in the Indianapolis and Chicago Symphony orchestras. His instrument was a Grancino, c. 1690. After Frank's death, his widow sold the bass to one of his students, Rudy Fahsbender, who played with the Chicago Symphony until 1968. His son also played bass and inherited all the instruments when Rudy passed away. If readers have any information about the instrument's whereabouts, Peter has his grandfather's notes on the history of the bass to pass along to the current owner. Email Peter.A.Derenski@Boeing.Com.

Andrew Kohn is collecting the writings of Theron McClure with hopes of publication. If you have any copies of Ohio Bass Notes, please contact him at Andrew.Kohn@mail.wvu.edu or by phone at 412-621-3758.

Jeffrey Weisner, professor of double bass at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, sends word that the double bass department has a new group blog, PBDB. It's a little corner of the Internet to sound off on all things bass at Peabody, and will feature posts from all the bass faculty as well as some student guest bloggers. Visit the blog at http://peabodydoublebass.blogspot.com.

In 1990, Tom Lord created The Jazz Discography as a CD-ROM. The resource currently lists 160,000 entries. According to Lord's compilation, the most recorded single musician in jazz history is Milt Hinton and in fact, four of the top 12 most-recorded musicians are bassists. The other bass greats in the top 12 are Ron Carter, Ray Brown and George Duvivier. For information go to www.lordisco.com.

Donations now being accepted for the Scott LaFaro Memorial Award, given annually to a deserving graduating student at the legendary jazz bassist's high school alma mater. Send your tax deductible donation, payable to Geneva City Schools: Attn: Amy Rogers, Geneva City Schools, 649 S. Exchange St., Geneva, NY 14456.

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HEY, BASSIST, COME HERE OFTEN? If you're using the resources of this website, we hope you're also a member of the International Society of Bassists. If you're not, you don't know what you're missing! Members receive Bass World magazine three times a year, with an eclectic mix of articles on every aspect of the double bass, profiles of performers, reviews of recordings and music and bass-focused ads. And you'll stay informed about bass events around the world, including ISB competitions and conventions, by reading the Bass Line newsletter, published twice a year. Join now by visiting our membership page!

Ray Brown's ART OF THE BASS VIDEOS are now available through Lemur Music. That means four chances to see and hear Ray again as he shares savvy tips and makes music with fellow bass greats Milt Hinton, John Clayton and Francois Rabbath, and swings with his own Triple Treat Trio featuring pianist Monty Alexander and guitarist Herb Ellis. Bassists everywhere will want these previously hard-to-find videos in their libraries. (VHS format only, color, 30 minutes except the Triple Treat video, which is 60 minutes long.) Sales benefit the ISB. Go to www.lemur-music.com or call 1-800-246-BASS in the U.S. and Canada.

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