This is a post from National Symphony Orchestra bassist Jeff Weisner. Jeff also teaches bass at The Peabody Institute in Baltimore and co-authors the blog PeabodyDoubleBassClick here for all of Jeff’s doublebassblog.org posts.

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It’s Day 5 of our South Carolina Residency, and I’m getting deep into my schedule of concerts, classes, and outreach events. Last night, before our NSO concert in Clemson, I participated in a “Meet the Performers” event, where I and two NSO colleagues gave a brief presentation on some of our concert repertoire and took questions from a room of Clemson University students. I am writing this on a bus en route to what must be one of the earliest bass quartet performances in music history – a “Breakfast with the Arts” event in Lancaster, SC. Our quartet – NSO Assistant Principal Rick Barber, Ira Gold, Paul DeNola, and myself – will be playing the Jan Alm Quartet No. 2, some Lasso motets, and an arrangement of “The Blue Danube.” I hope that we not only play well, but that there are no ill health effects on the audience from hearing bass quartets this early in the morning…

Tomorrow is my busiest day. In the afternoon, I am giving a master class at the University of South Carolina for the bass students there. The class starts at 2:30. In the evening, our bass quartet is giving a concert at the Lexington County Performing Arts Center in Batesburg. The program is:

Orlando Lasso: Two Motets

Detlev Glanert: Four Pieces for Bass Quartet

Gunther Schuller: Quartet

Jan Alm: Quartet No. 2

J. Strauss arr. Ludwin: The Blue Danube

All are welcome at either or both of these events. If you want info or directions, please email me at jeffrey.weisner@gmail.com and I’ll try to get it for you. If you’re a South Carolina bass player, come on out and show us some SC bass love!

Besides, which, there are still two full orchestra concerts in Columbia (tonight) and Aiken (Friday)…

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