Stephen F. Austin State University

Carlos Gaviria, bass faculty

General Statistics

  • US News Ranking: #76 (tie) in Regional Universities West
  • US News Overall Score (out of 100): 30
  • In-State Tuition & Fees 2016-17: $9,342
  • Out-of-State Tuition & Fees 2016-17: $21,042
  • Room & Board 2016-17: $8,868
  • Total Enrollment: 12,606
  • Acceptance Rate (from 2015): 62%
  • Student – Faculty Ratio: 19:1
  • 4 year graduation rate: 22%

Double Bass Statistics

  • Average number of undergraduate bass students: 7
  • Studio Class, Bass Ensembles, Contemporary ensembles (Jazz, Rock, Salsa)

What Alumni Are Doing

  • Accomplished educators in the Texas public school system

Perspectives from the Bass Faculty

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

A: Working with students with different musical and personal backgrounds. The fact that Nacogdoches is a small town, provides the students with plenty of time to devote to the instrument (away from distractions) and performance opportunities outside campus.

About The Bass Faculty

Carlos Gaviria, a native of Cali, Colombia began his musical education at the Conservatorio Antonio Maria Valencia. While in Cali, Mr. Gaviria joined the Orquesta Sinfonica del Valle, where he spent three seasons performing as a bass section member.

Gaviria came to the United States on a scholarship to study at the University of North Texas, where he completed the B.M. and M.M. While at UNT, he worked as a teaching assistant to the world-renowned bass teacher Jeff Bradetich. He is currently a doctoral candidate in double bass performance at the University of Houston, where he studies with Dennis Whittaker.

Gaviria is currently a member of Symphony of South East Texas and has performed regularly with many ensembles, including the symphony orchestras of San Angelo, Abilene, Irving, Plano, University of North Texas, and University of Houston. He also has been a member of festival orchestras, including the AIMS orchestra in Graz, Austria, and the Texas Music Festival Orchestra.

As a music theorist, Gaviria’s areas of research include the music of Alberto Ginastera. He published a thesis on the use of the guitar chord by Ginastera and gave a lecture on the topic at the Latin American Composers Conference in 2009.

Gaviria is a dedicated pedagogue and was active as a bass instructor in the Dallas and Houston areas for several years; many of his students have been placed in All-State orchestras and have gone on to be accepted into music programs at major American universities. He has taught at the Abilene Summer Music Festival and at the Bradetich Annual Summer Bass Camps since 2009, and he has presented master classes at UNT and UT Panamerican. Additionally, Gaviria has taught music theory and ear training classes at the University of North Texas and the University of Houston. He currently resides in Houston, where he maintains a full private teaching studio. Gaviria joined the faculty of Stephen F. Austin University in 2012.

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