Contrabass Conversations double bass life

A mainstay of the Chicago music scene for more than thirty years, Eric Hochberg has lent his bass work, both upright and electric, and an occasional trumpet, keyboard and vocal lick to a variety of projects across the realms of jazz, folk, rock and blues.

Lawrence Hurst is the former principal double bass for the Dallas Symphony. He is a former faculty member of Southern Methodist and Eastern Michigan Universities and former faculty member, associate dean, and chair of the string department at University of Michigan School of Music. He was honored with the Alumni Award from the University of Michigan School of Music in 1998.

Program Order: Bottesini Romanza Dramatica Op. 20 (Elegie No. 2) Bach Suite No. 3 in C Major (performed in original key) Sofia Gubaidulina Pantomime Eccles Sonata

Greg Sarchet considers himself fortunate to have had an array of musical experiences and training, from studying with his first teacher, jazz luminary Rufus Reid, to receiving degrees from the Juilliard School (where he was a student of Michael Morgan), to hundreds of television/radio commercial recordings.

Ira Gold made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2011, performing the Vanhal Bass Concerto with the Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra.

Here is a full-length recital showcase featuring a performance from double bassist Phillip Serna.  Visit Phillip online at www.phillipwserna.com

Andrew Anderson performs in nearly 150 concerts every year and teaches over a dozen students of all levels each week. Andrew Anderson is a member of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic, and performs regularly with Music of the Baroque. 

Born in Aleppo, Syria into a musical family of six boys and three girls, François discovered the double bass at the age of thirteen when one of his brothers brought an instrument home and allowed him to experiment with it. When the family moved to Beirut, Lebanon he found an old copy of Edouard Nanny's Contrabass Method in a tailor shop and with some difficulty, since he read neither music nor French, began to teach himself.

Ira Gold made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2011, performing the Vanhal Bass Concerto with the Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra.

John started playing Double Bass at the age of 11. He attended The Julliard School during high school and was a scholarship student at Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana where he studied with Lawrence Hurst. After graduating from IU, he attended the Manhattan School of Music completing his Masters Degree with Timothy Cobb.

This episode features the first part of an interview that Jason recently did with double bassist Weldon Anderson.  Weldon has worked in many styles of music, from traditional classical bass playing to very experimental forms of music.  The first part of this interview discusses Weldon's early years on the instrument and how he became involved Pittsburgh's Squonk Opera.

This week's episode features double bassist Kate Nettleman.  Kate was based here in the Chicago area at the time of this recording, but she moved on to become Principal Bass of the Hong Kong Philharmonic and then to a section position in the Minnesota Orchestra.

This week's episode features a series of tracks from double bassist Andrew Anderson.  Andy was our guest on episodes 4 and 7.  Andy used a different set-up for each set of tracks, and he describes the strings and other differentiating factors between each track.

This episode of Contrabass Conversations features an interview with composer Bjorn Berkhout.  Bjorn discusses his musical training, his various compositions for bass, and the challenges of writing for the double bass.  Musical selections from his pieces Steamworks and Rise are also played on the show this week.

We start this episode with Schgweik Farht, one of the movements from David Anderson's seven double bass duets.  You will also hear the Bach Gigue from the third cello suite and the second movement of the Schubert Arpeggione Sonata.