ISB 2023 Convention Presenter — Susan Hagen

Presentation description: Over the past several years. I have had the honor of being the recipient of many musical gifts...many people have written music that has been dedicated to me, most especially my dear friend, the British Bassist/Composer/Teacher David Heyes. David and I will sit down and talk about our collaborations and we can't wait to share it all with you!

Susan is an extra with the Boston Symphony Orchestra & the Boston Pops and is on many BSO and Pops recordings. She recently became the principal of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the first female ever to do so, and has been a soloist with them. Susan is also on faculty at Berklee College of Music. 

Susan performed at the ISB Convention in 2015 with electric bassist Steve Bailey & alone at the ISB 2021 & 2022 virtual Conventions. She is on Steve Bailey's latest album “Carolina” and on Victor Wooten & Steve Bailey’s latest album “S’low Down.”

Since March 2020, Susan has recorded over 95 pieces written after 2010 - over 50 were premieres. She gave 9 recitals with her father, a guitarist/electric bassist, creating their own arrangements. All money raised at these concerts was donated to charity.

Susan recently published a book of Warm Ups - “BASSics of Bass” - which can be purchased through her website or at https://dbbpublications.gumroad.com/l/bassicsofbass

She has been a soloist with many orchestras and, in November of 2022, will give the US premiere of Simón García’s Concerto for Amplified Double Bass & Strings with the Plymouth Philharmonic and again with the Northshore Philharmonic in April 2023.

David Heyes studied at the Royal College of Music (London) and in Prague with František Pošta. He has performed as a soloist and given masterclasses in twenty countries and served on a number of international competition juries. In 1986 David founded the publishing company Recital Music, which has become one of the largest catalogues of double bass music in the world. He has commissioned over 750 works for double bass. David began to compose in 2013 and to date his music has been performed in 29 countries across five continents. He is proud to be a D'Addario Performing Artist.