The ISB Remembers Gary Karr
November 20, 1941 - July 16, 2025

With our hearts heavy yet full of love and gratitude, members of the International Society of Bassists pay tribute to the life of our incomparable founder Gary Karr. Gary passed away on July 16 after suffering a brain aneurysm. He had just been diagnosed with aggressive and inoperable cancer. Those who saw him exuberantly attending the ISB convention at Florida State University last month would never have guessed that he was already in a great deal of pain. He was 83 years young. (photo courtesy of the Spokane, Washington Spokesman-Review)

Gary was born Gary Michael Kornbleit in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1941. The entire family changed its last name to Karr in 1944. After attending the University of Southern California, Gary studied at The Juilliard School, where his major teachers included Herman Reinshagen and Stuart Sankey. His breakthrough came in 1962, when he was featured as a soloist in Leonard Bernstein's nationally televised Young People's Concerts series. Offered a chance to perform "The Elephant" from Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals, Gary insisted on playing "The Swan." And the rest, as they say, is history.

As a pioneering double bass soloist Gary appeared with dozens of major orchestras and on recital hall stages around the world. He premiered as well as commissioned numerous new works for the bass, and documented his expansive repertoire on over 90 recordings, most of them with his husband and partner in music and life for over 50 years, the pianist & organist Harmon Lewis.

Gary was an influential and inspirational teacher. Not only was he on the faculties of The Juilliard school, New England Conservatory of Music, Hartt School, Yale University and Indiana University, but he also taught classroom music in the Halifax, Nova Scotia Schools' music program. That experience led him to write a series of instructional books for beginning bassists, encouraging even the youngest students to seek out and appreciate their own unique voice on the instrument.

Gary sought beauty in the world around him and in all that he did. Second only to his love of music was the joy he found in gardening. The breathtaking backyard of his home in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has become a tour stop for visitors to the island.

Gary was a creative artist, patron of the arts and education, and a generous friend, mentor and philanthropist. He founded the International Society of Bassists in 1967 to provide his bass brothers and sisters with a forum to share music, ideas and friendship, a mission that lives on to this day. 

The recipient of countless awards and accolades, Gary was a transformative figure in the history of our beloved instrument. His influence will be felt for decades to come.

The ISB will celebrate the extraordinary life of Gary Karr with a virtual tribute, watch this page for the date and time to be announced. Thank you, Gary, for all you have given to the worldwide bass community. We are proud to be the family you made.

• Watch Gary's 80th birthday video.
• Read his keynote address from the ISB's 50th anniversary convention.
• Listen to and view Gary's online programs, "Getting Together with Gary" (member login required).
• Read Gary's biography Life on the G String and listen to his recordings, available on the Gary Karr Online Store.
• Learn more about the Gary Karr Library in Toronto.
• Make a gift to the ISB in Gary's memory.

About Gary Karr

Watch our 80th birthday tribute to learn more about Gary's life in words and pictures.

Watch the Video

Watch Gary's headlining recital featuring the late, great Harmon Lewis from the ISB's 2021 virtual convention, including a tour of Gary's gorgeous backyard garden shot from a camera mounted on a model train.

Watch the Video

GARY KARR (November 20, 1941 - July 16, 2025) created an unparalleled and groundbreaking international career as a performer, recording artist, educator, innovator, philanthropist, and icon. Gary will continue to inspire bassists of all ages to reach for the stars.

Since his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in 1962, Gary performed as a soloist with orchestras on six continents. He reached millions of music lovers through live and virtual recitals appearances, radio, television and print interviews, and dozens of acclaimed recordings (Gary Karr Store). Gary's command of the repertoire included solo and chamber music from Baroque to Contemporary periods as well as virtuoso transcriptions. He commissioned not only new music for double bass, but dozens of composers have dedicated works to him.

In 1961, Gary met pianist and organist Harmon Lewis, who became his professional and life partner. For over 50 years they toured the world as the Karr Lewis Duo, delighting audiences wherever they went and gaining new fans for the double bass.

In 1967, Gary founded the International Institute for String Bass, now known as the International Society of Bassists, creating a welcoming forum for members of all ages and abilities to learn about and explore all aspects of the instrument.

Gary's generosity to the ISB knew no bounds, and he remains our single largest benefactor. In 2004, he gifted the ISB with his fabled double bass, once owned by Serge Koussevitzky and given to Gary by his widow, Olga. Now known as the Karr-Koussevitzky Bass, it is available to ISB members to borrow for concert appearances and recordings. During the COVID pandemic, Gary donated nearly $300,000 in COVID relief grants for bassists around the world.