Contrabass Conversations

It was great to have Valentina Ciardelli back on the podcast to talk about all the new developments in her career.   In this episode, recorded on February 20, we dig into her new arrangements, including Zappa, Stravinsky, and her new arrangement of 'Nei Cieli Bigi' from La Bohème for cello and bass.   We also talk about Music Academy International and other topics. Valentina is currently offering...

It was a pleasure chatting with Lizzie Burns about the fascinating career that she has carved out for herself in the music world.  Lizzie spent six years studying in Boston while maintaining an active freelance career. She was a founding member of Phoenix and the Pianosofia Chamber Players; a fellow of Symphony Nova ; and has been heard many times in Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and at the American...

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of Gary Karr and his influence: David Murray - Butler University Derek Jones -   bassist for Cirque du Soleil's show KÀ Diana Gannett - University of Michigan professor emeritus Gary Karr - the man himself! Hector Tirado - Puerto Rican bassist Lawrence Hurst - Indiana University professor emeritus James Oesi - soloist and bass...

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of what it's like working these days as a jazz bassist: Ben Allison - NYC Dan Chmielinski - NYC Herbert Smith - Brazil John Goldsby - Germany Katie Thiroux - Los Angeles Kenneth Knudson - Denmark Larry Gray - Chicago Rufus Reid - NYC Sean Conly - NYC   Listen to more "best of" episodes at contrabassconversations.com/highlights...

We're all experiencing difficult times right now.  Ranaan Meyer, my longtime friend and member of Time for Three , reached out to me this week, and we had an inspiring conversation about how we're handling the current situation. Ranaan has been on the podcast many times in the past , and I felt much better about what I can do to make the best of things after chatting with him. We also featured mus...

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of what it's like playing in major American orchestras: Chris Hanulik - LA Phil Jeff Weisner - National Symphony Micah Howard - Pittsburgh Symphony Orin O'Brien - New York Philharmonic Rex Surany - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Scott Dixon - Cleveland Orchestra Steve Tramontozzi - San Francisco Symphony Tom Zera - Utah Symphony...

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of bass gear: Bill Merchant - luthier Christian McBride - jazz bass legend Daniel Kimbro - Jerry Douglas Band Derek Jones -   bassist for Cirque du Soleil's show KÀ Donovan Stokes - Shenandoah University Eric Revis - New York jazz bassist Ethan Jodziewicz - newgrass bassist Gael McKeon - luthier Gahlord Dewald - modular synthe...

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of working with the jazz greats: Brian Bromberg - jazz bass legend Chuck Israels - jazz bass legend Frank Proto - bassist and composer Gary Peacock - jazz bass legend Gene Perla - jazz bassist and music business expert Jeff Denson - California Jazz Conservatory Jim Miller on Art Davis Kenny Davis - NYC jazz bassist Kurt Morrow...

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topics of improvisation and learning in jazz: Adam Booker - Appalachian State University Alexis Cuadrado - NYC jazz bassist Ben Robertson - Melbourne jazz bassist Bernard O'Neill - European jazz bassist and composer Charley Sabatino - New York jazz bassist and educator Chuck Israels - jazz bass legend Christian McBride - jazz bass l...

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of developing your sound: Christine Hoock - German bassist and pedagogue Dan Styffe - Oslo Philharmonic David Allen Moore - LA Phil David Murray - Butler University Ethan Jodziewicz - newgrass artist James VanDemark - Eastman School of Music Mark Dresser - University of California San Diego Matthew McDonald - Berlin Philharmon...

Today's episode features the following past podcast guests on the topic of what makes a teacher great: George Amorim - University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Caroline Emery - renowned UK bass teacher Bob Phillips - clinician and educator Paul Ellison - Rice University Guy Tuneh - soloist and chamber musician Lawrence Hurst - professor emeritus at Indiana University Ira Gold - National Symphony and...

It was such a pleasure to spend time with composer and Melbourne Symphony bassist Stephen Newton during my trip to Australia in 2019 .   Stephen is an outstanding performer, and he has a compelling voice as a composer. A native of Sydney, Stephen joined the Melbourne Symphony in 2006, and he has performed internationally with the MSO and other ensembles. We talk about this recent solo bass suite,...

I first learned about Eleonore Oppenheim from Contrabass Conversations team member Krista Kopper , and I knew that she'd prove to be an interesting podcast guest.   Eleonore describes herself as a "genre surfing musical polyglot," and she explores the bass and its role as a solo and chamber instrument in a variety of creative ways.   Eleonore also recently wrapped up a long stint as the bassist fo...

Stuart Riley has led a multifaceted and inspiring musical life as a bassist.   Both in the United Kingdom, Stuart moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1999 and worked as a freelancer in all sorts of ensembles.   He took a permanent position with Orchestra Victoria in 2017 as Principal Double Bass .   Also, Stuart has a wide array of interests, and he has provided a wealth of information regarding orch...

Melbourne bassist Ben Hanlon lives a vibrant musical life as a classical and jazz musician.   In addition to his job as a member of the Melbourne Symphony bass section , Ben enjoys a thriving career performing in Melbourne's many jazz venues.   He often works with guitarist James Sherlock and has released an album featuring several of their duos . We got together in person during my trip to Austra...

In October 2018, Sebastiano Dessanay embarked on a humongous adventure: cycling between all 377 towns of his native Sardinia in 377 days .   This project, which he called 377 , involved him putting his bass ukulele on his back, chronicling his travels via photo, text, and music on his blog . We talk about how he worked up the courage to make this tremendous journey, the logistical planning involve...

I've been following along with Lila Horovitz and her multidimensional career for well over a decade, and it was a real pleasure to finally have her as a guest on the podcast.   Lila's album Preludio del Primer Dia and her video Alone... All one was groundbreaking in highlighting the bass as a solo instrument, and the influence of her Argentinian upbringing is evident throughout her compositions. W...

Kees Boersma has had a remarkable musical career.   In addition to serving as Principal Bass of the Sydney Symphony since 1990, Kees teaches at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and is an active clinician and guest artist. I had the opportunity to catch up with Kees in person during my trip to Australia.   He was one of the headliners for the Melbourne BassDay , and we met up in a charming Fitzro...

Cécile-Laure Kouassi has had quite a musical journey so far.   Growing up in the French Alps, she moved to New York to study with Albert Laszlo at Juilliard.   She went on to study with Tim Pitts at Rice University before taking her current position as Assistant Principal Bass of the Oslo Philharmonic . We talk about her upbringing, the decision to study in the United States, favorite memories of...

Yuriy Galkin 's latest album ...For Its Beauty Alone has been turning heads since its release last year, getting warm accolades in All About Jazz , Jazz Weekly , and several other publications. On today's episode, we chat with Yuriy about growing up in Russia, moving to the United Kingdom, and his eventual relocation to the New York City area in 2017.   We also talk about composing, work flows, ho...

Sasha Witteveen caught my attention with her wonderful recent rendition of Paganini's Moses Fantasy .   At age 16, she has established herself as a rising star in the world of classical music. We talk about her background in music, discovering the bass, what it's like balancing her studies with her musical aspirations, how groups like the LGT Young Soloists are creating opportunities for young mus...

After 30 years as Principal Bass of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra , Steve Reeves decided to retire and move on to other projects.   This happened to coincide with my trip to Australia for Rob Nairn's Melbourne Bass Day , and I had the chance to meet up with Steve over coffee and chat about his career, why he decided to retire, and what he has learned serving as a principal player for three deca...

It was such a pleasure to meet and spend time with Kirsty McCahon during my trip to Australia in late 2019.   Kirsty has worn many hats as a musician over the years, from holding the position of Principal Bass with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra for 20 years to her current roles as Principal Bass with Pinchgut, Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra, Bach Akademie Australia.   We also c...

I had a wonderful time meeting and spending time with Australian Chamber Orchestra principal bassist Maxime Bibeau during my trip to Australia in late 2019.   Max has had a fascinating career path, and he plays with a power and subtlety that is truly remarkable. We talk about his path from Quebec to Australia, what it's like playing on a 1585 Gasparo Da Salo bass, the unique experience of playing...

It was such a pleasure to chat with renowned Australian jazz bassist Ben Robertson in person during my trip to Australia in late 2019! Ben is an outstanding musician with a remarkable career path and musical background, and we had a fascinating conversation into all kinds of subjects revolving around bass, learning, developing listening skills, the subtleties of working on improvisation, and much...