Carthage College

Brian Melk, bass faculty

General Statistics

    • US News Ranking: #154 (tie) in National Liberal Arts Colleges
    • US News Overall Score (out of 100): 41
    • Tuition & Fees 2016-17: $40,265
    • Room & Board 2016-17: $10,974
    • Total Enrollment: 2,998
    • Acceptance Rate (from 2015): 70%
    • Student – Faculty Ratio: 13:1
    • 4 year graduation rate: 50%
    • % of undergrads receiving Financial aid: 79%
    • Average Financial Aid: $22,411

Double Bass Statistics

  • Average number of undergraduate bass students: 3-5
  • Studio Class, Orchestral Repertoire Class, Bass Ensembles

What Alumni Are Doing

  • Some are music educators in the Wisconsin and Illinois area. Others have chosen fields other than music.
  • There have been a few graduates that have pursued performance degrees at various conservatories.

Perspectives from the Bass Faculty

Q: What are some of your favorite experiences teaching at your school?

A: It’s a very enthusiastic musical community. Both the staff and the students are very passionate about music and the city of Kenosha is exceptionally supportive of the school and its students.

We are a college that going through a growth spurt. The head of our strings department is aiming to grow this program substantially in the next few years. We’ve attracted some very talented students in the last two years, and several of them are already doing some great things.

About The Bass Faculty

Brian Melk is an active orchestral bassist in the Milwaukee and Madison areas. He holds a tenured position with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Philharmonic, the Kenosha Symphony, and the Fox Valley Symphony. Brian was also an associate member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for the 2012-13 season. Brian teaches double bass at Carthage College and maintains a sizable private studio in the Milwaukee area. Brian received his Bachelor’s in music performance from UW-Madison where he studied with Richard Davis. He then received his Master’s in music performance from Northwestern University where he studied with Andrew Raciti. At Northwestern, he performed in masterclasses led by Paul Ellison, David Moore, and Edwin Barker. Brian has also studied with Matthew McDonald, Joel Quarrington, and Ali Yazdanfar at the Orford Academy and Sidney King at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.

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