CBC 120: Ed Barker interview
We’re featuring Boston Symphony Principal Bassist Ed Barker on this week’s Contrabass Conversations episode. Conducted by Contrabass Conversations co-host John Grillo, this episode features John chatting with Ed about his early years on the bass, his schooling and time spent in the Chicago Symphony prior to his appointment with the Boston Symphony, and in-depth look at articulation on the bass, and a discussion on practicing. We hope you enjoy this conversation with this modern master performer and teacher of the double bass!
About Ed Barker:
Edwin Barker is recognized as one of the most gifted bassists on the American concert scene. Acknowledged as an accomplished solo and ensemble player, Mr. Barker has concertized in North America, Europe, and the Far East.
Edwin Barker has performed and recorded with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and with the contemporary music ensemble Collage, a Boston – based contemporary music ensemble, and is a frequent guest performer with the Boston Chamber Music Society. Mr. Barker gave the world premiere of James Yannatos’ Concerto for Contrabass and Chamber Orchestra and of Theodore Antoniou’s Concertino for Contrabass and Chamber Orchestra ; he was the featured soloist in the New England premiere of Gunther Schuller’s Concerto for Double Bass and Chamber Orchestra, conducted by the composer with The Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra.
Mr. Barker graduated with honors from the New England Conservatory in 1976, where he studied double bass with Henry Portnoi. That same year, while a member of the Chicago Symphony, he was appointed at age 22 to the position of principal double bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His other double bass teachers included Peter Mercurio, Richard Stephan, Angelo LaMariana, and David Perleman.
Mr. Barker was invited to inaugurate the 100th anniversary season of the Boston Symphony Orchestra with a solo performance of the Koussevitzky Bass Concerto; other solo engagements have included appearances at Ozawa Hall (Tanglewood), Carnegie Recital Hall’s “Sweet and Low” series, and at major universities and conferences throughout the world, as well as concerto performances with the Boston Classical Orchestra, the Athens State Orchestra (Greece) and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston and Europe. He was a featured premiere soloist with the Boston Symphony of John Harbison’s Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra at Tanglewood’s 2007 Festival of Contemporary Music.
Mr. Barker is an Associate Professor at the Boston University College of Fine Arts where he teaches double bass, orchestral techniques, and chamber music. His other major teaching affiliations include the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Music Center, where he is Chairman of Instrumental and Orchestral Studies.
Edwin Barker’s solo CD recordings include Three Sonatas for Double Bass, on Boston Records, James Yannatos’ Variations for Solo Contrabass, on Albany Records, and Concerti for Double Bass, on GM Recordings, which includes bass concerti by Gunther Schuller and Theodore Antoniou. Concerti for Contrabass also includes his highly praised performance of Tom Johnson’s Failing , which was recorded live at Harvard University’s Sanders Theater. Edwin Barker’s latest solo offering on CD is a recently released performance of James Yannatos’ Concerto for Contrabass with Collage.
More from John Grillo:
- The State of the Orchestra
- Differences in Opera and Orchestra Playing
- Opera Excerpt Breakdown
- Orchestral Excerpt Breakdown
- Owen Lee Interview
- Max Dimoff interview
- Dan Krekeler interview
- Ranaan Meyer interview
- Lawrence Hurst interview
- John Grillo recital showcase
- John Grillo interview
- Jack Budrow interview
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3 Responses to “CBC 120: Ed Barker interview”
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Thanks… I really learned a lot from this interview. After listening, I began browsing around the internet for more info on Portnoi – I found a PDF of his bass method which goes into detail about string articulations in a way not unlike Ed Barker. It may be interesting to some listeners.
http://www.heritageensembles.com/cbt.pdf
Anyway, this episode is really one of the best to date.. it is a bit dry at times, but really a tremendous resource. Again thanks!
Dear Jason.
Thank you very much for this interview with Ed Barker.
It was very interesting and I enjoyed it very much.
Especially the part about practising was very good to listen to.
I was thinking about the performance aspect a lot, when I am teaching or also for myself.
We spend so much time in the practiseroom and go to a recital or audition and we think now it must work, but it doesn´t. So you start thinking about what are you doing wrong?
Mr. Barker is absolutly right with the performance aspect. When you don´t pracitise or not used to perform so from where should it come.
Very good interview and very good site you have Jason.
I really enjoy to listen to a lot of interviews of different people.
Thanks again and Greetings from Spain,
Michael.
A fantastic substantive interview. Thank you. I’d love to hear more like this one.