Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

 

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This week, we’re featuring Barrie Kolstein on the Contrabass Conversations show. Barrie discusses his father Samuel Kolstein and how he got into the bow making business, the progression into the bass making business, and the development of the Kolstein line of products (including rosin, stings, and cases) that bassists worldwide use [...]

In 2007, double bassist and blogger John Grillo and created the extremely popular orchestral excerpt breakdown series for the Contrabass Conversations podcast network. This series includes performances of John playing much of the double bass orchestral audition repertoire, with commentary about each specific excerpt preceding each performance.
We’ve now made available for download [...]

 

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Welcome to Exploring Chamber Music with Brad Opland and the Chicago Chamber Musicians. This Contrabass Conversations special series highlights chamber music that includes the double bass. Learn more about the Chicago Chamber Musicians by visiting www.chicagochambermusic.org.
We’d like to extend special thanks to both Brad Opland and the Chicago Chamber Musicians for making this series possible. [...]

 

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We’re chatting with double bass luthier and Heartland String Bass Shop owner Chris Threlkeld-Wiegand today on the Contrabass Conversations podcast. Chris formerly worked at Robertson and Sons Violins before starting his own shop, and he makes extensions and does repair work in addition to crafting his own unique instruments.
It was a real pleasure to [...]

I had a chance this past Saturday (March 1, 2008) to watch a master class hosted by Northwestern University double bass professor Peter Lloyd (fourth from right) featuring longtime Chicago Symphony Principal Bass Joe Guastafeste (pictured here in the center of the group).

Joe has served as Principal Bass of the Chicago Symphony since 1961, serving [...]

 

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We’re continuing our chat with Cincinnati Symphony principal bassist Owen Lee today on Contrabass Conversations. Check out the first segment of this conversation on episode 55 of the program. Owen played for the New World Symphony and the Houston Symphony prior to his appointment with the Cincinnati Symphony, and it was a real [...]

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 PeabodyDoubleBass.  Click here for all of Jeff’s doublebassblog.org posts.
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On Monday, we had Audition Day for basses here at Peabody. We heard lots of great bass playing, met [...]

This is an opportunity not to be missed! Philadelphia Orchestra principal bassist Hal Robinson is joined by Houston Symphony bassist Eric Larson and Time for Three bassist (and Contrabass Conversations guest) Ranaan Meyer for Wabass, a one week free (!) institute for double bass players age 14 and up.

As indicated above, this program [...]

 

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Contrabass Conversations regular contributor and classicalmusicnews.tv blogger John Grillo and I recorded a follow-up episode to our recent Opera Excerpt Breakdown episode. In this episode we chat a little more generally about opera bass playing and how it differs from orchestral bass playing.
John has played for numerous opera companies in the past, including the [...]

We’ve just launched our international listing of double bass teachers.  So far, we’re representing….Illinois and Pennsylvania.  Hmm…..maybe there are some bass teachers outside of these states.  If you’d like to be added to this list, just visit our teacher directory and add yourself to the list.  Though the list is small right now, I am [...]