What an amazing week it has been here at the 2017 International Bradetich Competition!  I spent the whole week soaking up the music from these talented contestants, and I left the event feeling inspired and energized.

Here are the final results for the competition:

• 1st Place – Dominik Wagner
• 2nd Place – Szymon Marciniak
• 3rd Place – Marek Romanowski
• Honorable Mention – Mikyung Seong
• Audience Favorite – Dominik Wagner
• Online Favorite – Mikyung Seong

About All the Candidates

Here’s some background information on all of the participating candidates, along with a video of their playing, how they fared during the competition, and what they played for the various rounds.  These are truly some of the world’s finest young bassists!

Joel Braun

Joel Braun is Assistant Professor of Music (Double Bass) at Ball State University (BSU).  As an orchestral musician he has performed in the leading concert halls of North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.  He is currently a section bass member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.  Prior to his appointment at BSU, Joel was a full time substitute musician with the New York Philharmonic.  He has participated in numerous international tours with the Philharmonic, including the historic visit to Pyongyang, North Korea with Lorin Maazel in 2008.  In addition, he has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the New York City Ballet Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic.

Equally distinguished as a soloist and chamber musician, Joel has performed recent solo recitals at the Eastman School of Music as part of the International Society of Bassists 2013 convention and in Cincinnati, OH as an invited guest artist of the Cincinnati Bass Society.  In September 2013 he performed Serge Koussevitzky’s Concerto Op. 3 with the Ball State Symphony Orchestra.  He is a frequent collaborator with members of the American Piano Trio and can be heard regularly in solo and chamber music performances at Ball State University and throughout Indiana.  An advocate for living composers, Joel has premiered works by Bezhad Ranjbaran, Manuel Sosa, and Sofia Kraevska.

As an educator Joel has been a faculty member of The Juilliard School Pre-College Division, New York City’s Special Music School at the Kaufman Center, the Benefic Chamber Music Camp, the Music For All National Festival, and the Music For All Summer Symposium.  His students have won numerous competitions and awards including The Juilliard School Double Bass Concerto Competition and the Pearl and Julius Young Rising Star Competition.  His students have also won auditions for positions and participation in such ensembles as the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra, the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, the Castleton Festival Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra.

Joel is a past recipient of the Aspen Music Festival String Fellowship and a graduate of The Juilliard School (B.M. 2005, M.M. 2007).  A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Joel started double bass studies with Juilliard alumna Sue Stubbs in 1996.  From 1999 through 2007 his primary studies were with Eugene Levinson at The Juilliard School.  He has studied additionally with Chris Hanulik, Paul Ellison, Stuart Sankey, Jack Budrow, and Lawrence Hurst.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 3 Courante
• Behzad Ranjbaran: Ballade
• Bottesini: Concerto alla Mendelssohn

Valentina Ciardelli

Valentina was born in Pietrasanta (Italy) of a German mother and Italian father. Initially a pianist, she started to study double bass with Gabriele Ragghianti in 2010, graduating with Honours from the “Istituto Musicale L. Boccherini” in Lucca in October 2014. She then gained her Master of Performance (Honours) at the Royal College of Music in July 2016. Valentina also focused her attention on composition, graduating in March 2014 with Honours. She has participated and played in master classes with Thierry Barbè, Dan Styffe, Rinat Ibragimov, Jiri Hudec, Giuseppe Ettorre, Paul Ellison, Joel Quarrington and Donovan Strokes. Valentina has won several awards and prizes such as the “Riviera of Versilia” competition and the “Fortunato Magi” double bass scholarship, both in 2014, and she was a finalist in important national and international competitions such as the “Migliori Diplomati D’Italia” (best young Italian music graduate) 2015 and “Double bass international competition Galicia Garcia Graves”. In June 2016 she took first prize in the “RCM double bass competition”. Valentina also won several orchestral audition such as the OGI, the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester 2015, Gustav Mahler Academy 2016, BBC SO training scheme and the “Gran Teatro Giacomo Puccini Torre del Lago Orchestra” (Lucca). She was recently chosen to play for the academic year 2015/16 in the RPO Scheme experience.
Between 2013 and 2016 Valentina has played, mainly as principal or co-principal, with several symphonic and chamber orchestras, including the Northern Youth Symphony Orchestra Manchester, the Orchestra Primavera, Camerata strumentale di Prato, the BBC SO, the Arché Orchestra and The RCM Symphony and Chamber Orchestra. She also has wide experience in solo performance. She has been a member of the Orchestra Filarmonica Pucciniana for the Torre del Lago Puccini Summer Festival since 2014. She recently gave a soloist performance with “I solisti veneti” with Maestro Claudio Scimone (double bass concerto in A major by Domenico Dragonetti and the Fantasia sui temi della Sonnabula by Giovanni Bottesini) and she won the prestigious scholarship granted by this Academy (Proliber). Recently, Valentina was invited to play in the German world wide Zappa music festival Zappanale 2017, with her vibraphone and double bass duo.
Currently, Valentina lives and works in London and has been awarded a one-year scholarship at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London, to continue her advanced studies. She has also won a scholarship from the “Animando” music association in Lucca for a research projectinvestigating the music of Giacomo Puccini’s ancestors.
Most of Valentina’s time is spent studying, working as solo performer and seeking personal music projects such “The Girls in the Magnesium Dress”, “The Polianilich trio” with 2 double basses and one bassoon that focuses on the music of Giacomo Puccini, and a duo with the pianist Michela Spizzichino, with whom she concentrates on the double bass solo repertoire, standard and contemporary, enriched with a selection of original compositions and transcriptions. She also works as a composer and arranger. One of Valentina’s works for double bass and piano, “E soffitto e pareti…a Journey in the Madama Butterfly Opera”, was premiered at the Prague Bass Festival 2016 and was played by her former teacher Gabriele Ragghianti.

Repertoire for First Round

• Valentina Ciardelli: Opalamonio
• Frank Zappa: Awreetus Awrightus
• Bach Suite No. 1 Minuets 1 and 2
• Bottesini: Concerto alla Mendelssohn

Nina DeCesare

Nina began playing the bass at the age of eight, on a tiny quarter size bass, studying with George Vance, the renowned young bassist pedagogue. Through Vance, Nina worked closely with the virtuosic François Rabbath throughout the beginning of her bass studies. Other early teachers include Ali Yazdanfar, Ira Gold, and Hal Robinson. As a young bassist, Nina competed in the International Society of Bassists’ competitions, winning first place in both the Under-14 and 15-18 age divisions. Later on in her career, she won first place in the UT Bassfest competition and the River Concert Series Concerto Competition, which led to a performance of the Vanhal concerto with the Chesapeake Orchestra.

In 2010, Nina began her studies at Rice University with Paul Ellison, earning a Bachelor in Music Performance degree in 2014. During this time, she attended several summer programs and festivals, including Tanglewood Music Center, Sarasota Music Festival, Moritzburg Festival Academy, and Domaine Forget Academy. In 2012, Nina was awarded Rice University’s Wagoner Fellowship to spend the summer in Paris, studying intensively with François Rabbath. The Shepherd School of Music has a very intensive orchestral program, though Nina continued to also cultivate her solo playing and represented the Shepherd School with a solo performance at the Kennedy Center in 2014 as a part of the Conservatory Project.

Later in 2014, Nina won a section bass position with the Oregon Symphony and subsequently moved to Portland, Oregon to begin her first orchestral job. In addition to her work with the symphony, she has begun teaching privately and as adjunct faculty at Portland State University. She also teaches the beginner double bass classes through Portland Youth Philharmonic. She served on faculty at the KC Bass Workshop in 2015 and will be returning as faculty in the summer of 2016, as well as at the Twin Cities Bass Camp.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 4 Bourees 1 and 2
• Edgar Meyer: Amalgamations
• Frank Proto: Carmen Fantasy
• Misek: Sonata No. 2 mvt 1

William Langlie-Miletich

Semi-Finalist

A dynamic performer of multiple genres, bassist William Langlie-Miletich, 19, got his start in music at the age of eight playing the riffs of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin on the guitar. Since picking up the double bass at the age of 11, Langlie-Miletich has had an extensive performance career in classical, jazz, and many popular genres of music.

Langlie-Miletich has soloed with the Seattle Symphony and has been a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he performed on NPR’s From the Top. He attended Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, was principal double bass of the Seattle Youth Symphony, and was associate principal of the inaugural National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America on its tour of Washington, D.C., Moscow, St. Petersburg, and London.

As a jazz bassist, Langlie-Miletich was recognized in 2014 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’sEssentially Ellington contest as an outstanding bassist. He has performed in the Montreux, Lyon, and Umbria jazz festivals.

Admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at age 16, Langlie-Miletich is the Milton Levy Fellow, and is in his second year of instruction with Harold Robinson and Edgar Meyer.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 2 Prelude
• Edgar Meyer: Great Green Sea Snake
• Bottesini: Fantasia Cerrito

Repertoire for Semi-Finals

• Grieg: Intermezzo in A minor
• Grieg: Allegretto in E Major
• Meyer: McGillyn’s Jigs
• Meyer: The Great Green Sea Snake
• Schumann: Fantasiestucke, Op. 73, mvts 1,2,3
• Misek: Concert Polonaise

TianYang Liu

Semi-Finalist

Chinese-born double bassist TianYang Liu has won national attention for winning top prize and the best performance of required new work in the 2013 ISB Solo Competition; San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition Winner in 2013 (the first bassist to win in the history of the competition); Grand Prize of the 2012 International Double Bass Competition in Singapore; Second Prize of the 2010 CSO Young Artists’ String Competition; Honorary Prize and Audience Favorite Award in 2010 Bradetich Foundation International Double Bass Solo Competition and University of North Texas Concerto Competition Winner in 2010. He frequently appears in solo performances in the United States and Asia, giving performances and master classes at international festivals and conservatories.

Mr. Liu has performed as soloist with University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra and San Francisco Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. He appeared on “Performance Today” on NPR. In showing the capabilities of the double bass, NPR declared“…Liu and his flying fingers…are more than up to the challenge!”

Mr. Liu was born into a musical family and began his musical training at three years old. He studied violin with his mother. When he was four years old, he already presented incredible music talent. He received a special honorary award from Violin Competition in Chang Sha. His double bass training from eleven years old with his father. Mr. Liu received a B.A. from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing; Double Bass Artist Certificate from the University of North Texas and an M.M. from San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Mr. Liu is currently pursuing Artist Diploma with Paul Ellison in Rice University, Shepherd School of Music. His primary instructors were Scott Pingel, Jeff Bradetich, Jun Xia Huo, Da Fu and Zhen An Yang. Mr. Liu’s primary performance instrument was built by Angelo del Toppani in 1736.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No 1, Gigue
• Piazzolla: Contrabajeando
• Proto: Carmen Fantasy, mvts 1,2,5

Repertoire for Semi-Finals

• Piazzolla: Ave Maria
• Proto: Carmen Fantasy, mvts 1-5
• Erroll Garner/Barbe: Misty
• Sarasate: Zigunerweisen

Zhixiong Liu

Semi-Finalist

Born in Hangzhou, China, Zhixiong Liu began studying the double bass in January of 2008.  He was the first double bassist admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 2009, where he studied with Luo Bing.  He continued his education at the University of Music Lausanna (HEMU) in Switzerland in 2012.  While there, he earned his Bacherlor’s and Master’s degrees while studying with Bo Yuan and Michel Veillon.  Zhixiong was awarded the Junior First Prize in September 2011 at the Zhong Yin Bei Double Bass Competition.  He also participated in the 2013 ISB Double Bass Competition, where he won first place in the 15-18 age bracket.  In January 2014, he won third place in the Rahn Musikpreis Competition in Switzerland, and was awarded the Best Interpretation Award at the Eighth International Johann Matthias Sperger Competition for Double Bass in Germany later that same year.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 2 Prelude
• Teppo Hauta-aho: Kadenza
• Bottesini: Carnival of Venice Variations

Repertoire for Second Round

• Miloslav Gajdos: Invocation
• Sperger: Sonata in D Major, T 39, mvt 1,2
• Gliere: Scherzo, Intermezzo, and Tarantella

Szymon Marciniak

2nd Place Winner

Szymon Marciniak’s desire is to share musical experiences with the audience at highest level through giving every piece of music an authenticity and freshness. Through his original approach to his instrument and lively interpretations of classical bass-repertoire as well as transcriptions, he constantly receives acclaim and enthusiastic reactions from listeners and critics alike.

Szymon’s concert activities took him all around Europe as well as Asia, Arabic Emmirates, Canada and United States. He performs frequently as soloist with orchestras as well recitals with piano. One of notable performances was his recital with pianist Evan Mitchell at the international TCU Bass Festival in Fort Worth (Texas) back in 2014 that was live-broadcasted on the web worldwide and can be seen now on youtube.

In 2012 Szymon’s debut CD recording with Complete Sonatas and Miniatures of Adolf Mišek has been released and received critical acclaim including reviews at The Strad and Fanfare.
In early 2016 Szymon has released his new DVD+CD „New Music for Double-Bass” (with Evan Mitchell on piano). Both discs include 4 major premiere works for bass and piano, including Frank Proto’s Sonata No 3 (2015) dedicated to Szymon.  Later in 2016 the release of 3 CD’s with chamber works by Jeffrey Roden (including 3 String Quintets with Bennewitz Quartet) is planned.

Besides his solo efforts Szymon has been lucky to enjoy busy career as chamber and orchestral player. 2007-2013 Szymon has been principal bassist for the Residentie Orkest Den Haag (The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra). He is also frequently invited as guest principal bassist for number of internationally renowned orchestras and ensembles such as The Philharmonia, BBC Orchestra of Wales, BBC Philharmonic Manchester, Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Münchener Kammerorchester, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Insomnio, New European Ensemble and Spira Mirabillis.

His passion for chamber music has allowed him to explore traditional chamber repertoire with bass as well as some transcriptions of works orginally without bass. He appeared with such distinguished artists and ensembles as Gustav Rivinius, Philip Setzer (Emerson String Quartet), Dmitri Ashkenazy, James Campbel, Philippe Graffin, Vera Beths, Paolo Giacometti, Faure Quartett, to name a few. In addition between 2013-15 Szymon was a member of the Bass Monsters quartet performing rock and pop music on double-basses.
Contemporary or little known repertoire for bass is one of Szymon’s special interests. He has collaborated with number of composers and comissioned some new works. In 2005 a renowed german composer Jürg Baur wrote his opera „Der Roman mit dem Kontrabass” (based on A.Tchehov novel) with soloistic double-bass part especially with Szymon in mind. The premiere in 2005 was highly succesful.

Szymon’s collaboration with dutch composer Chiel Meijering resulted in 3 compositions: „The Ultimate Workout” for bass & piano and „Capriccio Olandese” for bass alone. (premiered respectively in 2012 and 2015) and the new composition for bass and piano „Kiss of Death” (2016- date of premiere to be announced).

Besides his passion for performing Szymon enjoys teaching and has given number of Masterclasses around Europe as well as UK and Hong Kong. In addition between 2011 and 2013 he taught double-bass at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen (Netherlands). He served as jury member of national and international competitions.

Szymon Marciniak’s solo instrument was made by Charles Quenoil in 1945.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 1 Prelude, Sarabande, Gigue
• Giorgi Makhoshvili: Regreps
• Frantisek Hertl: Sonata, mvt 1

Repertoire for Semi-Finals

• Nicholas Walker: Elcore
• Gliere: Prelude
• Richard Dubugnon: Sonata, mvt
• Proto: Sonata No. 3, mvt 1
• Bloch: Prayer
• Gliere: Tarantella

Repertoire for Finals

• Frank Proto – Nine Variants on Paganini

Mariechen Meyer

South African bassist Mariechen Meyer was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 1989. She started her double bass studies with Peter Guy in Bloemfontein, and graduated cum laude from the University of Stellenbosch in 2011 on a string scholarship under the Dutch pedagogue and performer, Roxane Steffen. From a young age, she was appointed principal bassist of several orchestras such as the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of South Africa, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra in USA, and the University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra. Mariechen has been invited to numerous international chamber festivals, among which are the International Chamber Festival in Stellenbosch (South Africa), MUSICA MUNDI International Chamber Music Course and Festival for Young Musicians in Belgium, the Stift Festival in The Netherlands, and the Interlochen Summer Camp in Michigan, USA, where she worked with Leon Bosch, Lawrence Hurst, Jack Budrow and Zoran Markovic.

As a soloist, Mariechen has performed with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra (2004) and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (2008). Currently, Mariechen is pursuing her Doctoral Degree at the University of North Texas in Denton, where she also completed her Master’s Degree, studying with the world-renowned double bass pedagogue and soloist Jeff Bradetich. In 2013, she was a winner of the University of North Texas Concerto Competition, second prize winner of the Mid-Texas Symphony Solo Competition and a semi-finalist in the prestigious solo competition if the International Society of Bassists. She plays on a modern Rumano Solano bass, owned by Gudrun Raschen.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 5 Prelude
• Nicholas Walker: Chorale
• Bottesini: Concerto alla Mendelssohn

Philip Nelson

Born in Germany into a family of American musicians, Philip Nelson, 20, began double bass lessons at age 6 with his father.  He later pursued his studies with Michael Wolf at the University of Arts in Berlin, and in September 2010 joined his current teacher, Caroline Emery, at The Yehudi Menuhin School.  As a student at YMS, Philip performed in various concert venues throughout the UK, Switzerland, and the Netherlands in orchestral, chamber music, and solo performances.

Philip has competed in Germany, Denmark, the USA, Turkey, Czech Republic, and London.  Philip is the winner of the 2016 RCM Double Bass Competition and was runner-up at the 2014 Peter Morrison Concerto Competition held at the RCMJD, the 2012 Copenhagen Double Bass Convention Youth Competition, and the 2013 ISB Youth Competition.  He is also a recipient of the Bottesini prize, given by Thomas Martin at the 2013 ISB Convention.  Most recently, Philip finished 4th place at the IX International Sperger Double Bass Competition in Germany and 3rd place at the 2016 Bass Europe Convention Solo Competition in Prague.  Philip has been awarded the Associated Board for Royal Schools of Music Scholarship to pursue his undergraduate studies at the Royal College of Music.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 5 Prelude
• Peteris Vasks: Bass trip
• Bottesini: Fantasia Lucia di Lammermoor

Aaron Olguin

Double bassist Aaron Olguin began his music studies at age eight learning guitar in Brownsville, Texas. Having a strong interest in the stringed instruments, Aaron started the bass when he was eleven. He preceded to study Dr. Gudrun Raschen at the Double Bass Conservatory of Dallas where he consistently ranked amongst the top ten bassists in the state of Texas. Aaron was an attendant at a number of prestigious music festivals such as the UNT Double Bass master classes hosted by Jeff Bradetich, The Prizm Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, ICMC Chamber Music Festival in Positano, Italy, Idyllwild Music Festival in Idyllwild, California, and the Mittenwald Double Bass Master Class in Mittenwald, Germany. He was also a finalist in the Fort-Worth Young Artist competition his senior year of high school. At the beginning of his studies with Jeff Bradetich at the University of North Texas, Aaron was named principal of the Orchestra and was granted two competitive music scholarships.

He was later selected as the double bassist for the Fantasmi Early Music Ensemble tour which lead to performances around Germany, Austria, and Croatia in 2014. He was a two time winner of the UNT Concerto Competition, and won the senior division for double bass at the ASTA International Competition in 2015. He is also a two year semi-finalist at the Sphinx Concerto Competition where one of his attendances lead him to honorable mention. He was also named the winner of 2017’s International Society of Bassists convention solo competition. This award granted him performance opportunities, a cash prize, as well as a new bow from the Guarneri house appraised for $3000. Aaron is also one of the founding members of the world renowned Bassinova Quartet, which recently released their debut album consisting of Beethoven and Shostakovitch String Quartets and toured the United States and Canada in the summer of 2016.

Repertoire for First Round

• Proto: Sonata No. 2, mvt 3 & 4
• Bach Suite No. 1 Sarabande
• Bottesini La Sonnambula

Marek Romanowski

3rd Place Winner

Marek Romanowski graduated from Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in class of Jan Kotula, which he finished with honorable mention.

He is the winner of Bronis?aw Ciechanski’s National Competition for Double Bass, Poznan, National Academic Double Bass Competition in Lodz, National Competition for Cello and Double Bass in Warsaw. He also received main prizes on several competitions : Second Prize on BASS2012 Copenhagen Double Bass Competition, Copenhagen, Denmark, Second Prize on the International Serge Koussevitzky Double Bass Competition in Sankt Petersburg, Russia, Third Prize at International Edouard Nanny Competition in Capbreton, France, Fourth Prize and two Special Prizes on the International Johann Matthias Sperger Competition, Andernach, Germany. He’s also a finalist of first Piano Duos Competition in Warsaw.

His other prizes are : First place in the Regional Double bass Auditions in Bytom, 2002, Second place at the National Meeting of Double Bassists in Mielec, April 2008 (younger category), Second place in National Double Bass Competition for Secondary Schools of Music in Lodz, April 2008, Fourth place at the Second Wiktor Gadzinski National Double Bass Competition in Katowice, June 2008, Second place at the National Meeting of Double Bassists in Mielec, April 2010 (older category), Second Prize on 1st International Double Bass Personalities Competition, Wroclaw, May 2013, Honourable mention at XIX International Leos Janacek Music Competition in Brno, Czech Republic, Special Prize founded by prof. Irena Olkiewicz at the 1st International Double Bass Competition „Golden Bass” in Lviv, Ukraine.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 2 Prelude
• Teppo Hauta-aho: Kadenza
• Proto: Sonata 1963

Repertoire for Second Round

• Bruch: Kol Nidre
• Paganini: Moses Variations
• Ravel: Piece en Forme de Habanera
• Beethoven: Cello Sonata in g minor, Op. 5 No. 2, mvt 1-3

Repertoire for Finals

• Frank Proto – Nine Variants on Paganini

Ondrej Sejkora

Currently 19, Ondrej Sejkora began his studies at the T.G. Massaryka Slatinany primary school in 2004 in the Czech Republic.  He then continued his double bass education at the Conservatoire Pardubice with Frantisek Machac in 2013.  He has performed solos with several orchestras, including Filharmonie Hradec Kralove, Orchestra Jana Kociana Trebova, and Barocco sempre giovane.

Ondrej has also been successful at many double bass competitions in the past decade, inckuding winning first place at both the Frantisek Simandl Competition in Blatna in 2016, winning first place at both the International Frantisek Cerny and Jan Geissel Competition in Holice and the International K.D. von Dittersdorf Competition in Banska, Bystrica in 2016, and most recently, winning first place and the title of laureate at the International PRO Bohemia Competition in Ostrava in 2017.  He also placed second at the International Frantisek Simandl Competition in Blatna in 2012 and at the International PRO Bohemia Competition in Ostrava in 2015.  Along with his solo performances, Ondrej dances and plays in the folklore group Narodopisny soubor Formani Slatinany, and plays with the double bass quartet Bumblebass.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 2 Prelude
• Miloslav Gajdos: Invocation
• Sperger: Concerto No. 15 in D Major, mvt 1 & 2

Mikyung Soung

Honorable Mention Winner

Mikyung Soung, a 23-year-old native from Seoul, South Korea, is forging a unique performing career as a solo double bassist. Since her professional debut at age 12 with the Guri Philharmonic, she has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Staatorchester Rheinische Philharmonic, Philharmonic Baden-Baden, Philharmonic Corea, the Concordia College Orchestra, the Korea National University of Arts Orchestra, and the Sunhwa Arts School Orchestra. She has already established herself as a renowned concertizing solo bassist in South Korea, including performing solo recitals at the renowned Kumho Art Hall in 2010 and 2007, as well as the Changsoo Park concert series and the Korea National University of Arts concert series.

Born into a musical family, Mikyung enjoys collaborating with other musicians and performing a variety of musical genres. During the summer of 2015, she performed at the Ditto Festival in Korea with a double bass quartet led by her brother, Minjie Soung. In March 2015, she performed a double bass duo recital at the Sierra Madres Playhouse in the Los Angeles area with a mixed program of classical standards and arrangements of film scores.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 1 Minuets 1 & 2
• Arni Egilsson: European Memories mvt 2
• Hindemith: Sonata mvt 1-3

Repertoire for Second Round

• Bruch: Kol Nidre
• Bottesini: Tarantella
• Vilmos Montag: Sonata

Repertoire for Finals

• Bottesini: Concerto No. 2

Samuel Suggs

Semi-Finalist

An omnivorous musician, Samuel Suggs was recently named New Artist of the Month by Musical America after receiving the Gary Karr Prize for 1st place at the 2015 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition in which he performed many of his own compositions. He is the only bassist to win the Beijing International Music Festival Competition, and has performed concertos at the Kennedy Center and Northwestern University.

As a collaborative bassist, he has been a fellow at the Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival and a Protégé Artist at Chamber Music Northwest where he additionally performed Hindemith and Frank Zappa on accordion as well as a mixture of jazz and four-hand classical piano in intimate club concerts. Suggs’ ensembles have won the Grand Prize at the 2015 Oneppo Chamber Series Competition, and he has toured internationally to Africa and Europe with his contemporary/jazz group, Triplepoint Trio.

Suggs earned honors studying music theory and cognition at Northwestern University while working as the youngest principal bassist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago as a substitute for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW contemporary ensemble, and in various outreach programs including leading the Carlos Chavez Youth Orchestra and performing alongside Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax.

Passionate about music from the 17th and 18th centuries, Suggs has served as principal bass of the inaugural Berwick Academy for Historical Performance at the Oregon Bach Festival, premiered his own construction of Haydn’s lost Violone concerto and has studied harpsichord with Steven Alltop and Arthur Haas.

Suggs has received commissions for fresh arrangements and theatrical/film scores from Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center, Phoenix Chamber Music Society, Chamber Music Northwest, the Yale School of Drama and Yale School of Art. As a performer-composer, Suggs is committed to expanding the literature of the double bass canon with flattering new music as well as model compositions in various traditional styles, blending formalism and narrative, and drawing from the soup of 21st century agenrality.

Self-published under Mikroseismos Music, his recent work includes Otello Fantasy, which re-contextualizes both the story and function of the standard Verdi opera excerpt into a virtuosic recital piece; a fantasy on the famous Purcell lament for unaccompanied bass, or double bass and soprano; Postlude, a companion piece to David Walter’s (currently) underperformed Prelude; Daft Chaconne, an unaccompanied chaconne interpolating Daft Punk’s electronic favorite, “Around the World”; and Concerto after Haydn, a three-movement concerto modeled after the two surviving measures of Haydn’s Violone concerto – written for standard rather than Viennese tuning.

Repertoire for First Round

• Suggs: EDM Caprice No. 1: Daft Punk Chaconne
• David Walter: Homage to Casals
• Suggs: Postlude-Improvisation
• Dragonetti: Waltz No. 3 and improvisations
• Penderecki: Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass

Repertoire for Semi-Finals

• Suggs: Diatonic Air
• Michael Laurello: Plead for amplified solo bass
• Purcell: Recitative and Aria from Dido’s Lament
• Bach/Pastorius: Fantasy/Fugue
• Suggs: EDM Caprice No. 2 Dub(bass)step
• Suggs: Concerto after Haydn

Dominik Wagner

1st Place Winner

photo by Jack Unzicker

Dominik Wagner was born on July 8th, 1997 in Vienna. He started playing the cello in the year 2002 and in 2007 he switched to double bass.

From 2007 to 2011 he was a member of the Vienna Boys Choir and in the year 2008 he started being an alto soloist. During their Concerts he also performed as a soloist on the cello and the double bass.

In 2009, Dominik started studying at the “Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien” with Prof. Josef Niederhammer and Mag.Werner Fleischmann.

Besides national youth-competitions (Prima la musica: first prize, ESTA special prize, 2012 and 2014; Allegro Vivo: prize winner as a Soloist an in Chamber Music, 2012; second Hertha Binder Classic prize of “Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien”, 2012; musica juventutis: he won a performance at the “Wiener Konzerthaus”, 2014) and international youth-competitions (International Competition for young double bass players, Gnesin Academy, Moscow: first prize, 2012) he also participated in the biggest international competitions without age limit (International Leos Janacek Competition, Brno, Czech Republic: third prize, 2013; International Golden Bass Competition, Lviv, Ukraine: first prize and special prize for the youngest participant, 2013).

As a soloist (concerts by J.B. Vanhal, Karl D.v. Dittersdorf, G. Bottesini and Nino Rota) he performed with the Young Master Players of the Wiener Musikuniversität, the Polish Chamberphilharmoic Orchestra under Wojciech Rajski, the Moravian Chamber Orchestra under Richard Kruzik, the Franz Schmidt Kammerorchester under Nicolas Radulescu and the Opera Studio Orchestra, Lviv under Yuriy Bervetskij.

He participated in Master classes and took lessons with Petru Iuga, Bernhard Ziegler, Christine Hoock, Dorin Marc, Johannes Auersperg and Roman Patkolo and Catalin Rotaru.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 3 Sarabande
• Koussevitzky: Concerto mvt 3
• Bottesini: Concerto alla Mendelssohn
• Wolfram Wagner: Vivace

Repertoire for Semi-Finals

• Wolfram Wagner: Solo Sonata
• Dominik Wagner: Variations on Paganini’s 24th Caprice
• Edvard Grieg: Allegretto

Repertoire for Finals

• Andrés Martin – Concerto para Contrabajo y Orquestra

Chunyang Wang

Semi-Finalist

Born into a family of bassists in Harbin, China, Chunyang Wang strives to create a prominent place for the double bass as a solo instrument.  He received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Timothy Cobb, the principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic.  He is currently a doctoral candidate at Arizona State University, under professor Catalin Rotaru.

Chunyang has won numerous competitions, including the American String Teachers Association Double Bass Competition and the Arizona Double Bass Festival Solo Competition.  He has been a two time finalist in the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition.

Repertoire for First Round

• Bach Suite No. 2 Prelude
• Chunyang Wang: Caprice
• Bottesini: Concerto alla Mendelssohn

Repertoire for Semi-Finals

• Bach/Wang: Partita in A minor for solo flute, Allemande
• Piazzolla: Le Grand Tango
• Mozart/Wang: Adagio, K. 261
• Bottesini: Concerto alla Mendelssohn

Jianze Zhang

Double bassist Jianze Zhang is a frequent prize winner, including winning 2nd prize and 3rd prize in the Conservatory Concerto Competition Lower String Category in 2014 and 2013, respectively, being awarded the 1st prize of The Chinese Work Exposition Competition for Double Bass in 2010, and winning 3rd prize in the 10th International Double Bass Competition in Brno.

Jianze was born in 1994 in Harbin, China, and began playing the double bass at the age of seven with Wang Sailin.  He was a student in the Central Conservatory of Music Middle School in Beijing under Sony Yi from 2006 to 2011.  During 2012 to 2016, he continued his studies at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, before earning his Bachelor degree at the National University of Singapore, studying with Guennadi Moyuza, who is the Principal Double Bassist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Repertoire for First Round

• Sean McClowry: Parting the Waters
• Bach Suite No. 5 Prelude
• Bottesini La Sonnambula

Archived Live Footage

We recorded extensive live footage on Facebook Live throughout the event.  Here are links to archived live stream videos (over 15 hours total!):

• Opening Ceremonies
• First Round Results
• Semi-finals part 1
• Semi-finals part 2
• Announcing the Finalists
• About The Four Semi-Finalists
• Finals part 1
• Finals part 2