Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

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We just wrapped up a very fun program with the Chicago Philharmonic last night at Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.  No matter how many times I perform orchestral warhorses like the Beethoven Fifth Symphony and Strauss’ tone poem Don Juan, I still get a thrill out of playing with a great bass section in [...]

This is a post from double bassist and music educator Peter Tambroni. Peter is currently a string teacher in suburban Chicago where he teaches string lessons in grades 3 - 8 and conduct the middle school concert and chamber orchestras. He also leads an Irish ensemble and a bass quartet. Learn more [...]

Lyric Opera of Chicago bassist Greg Sarchet joins his colleagues Andy Anderson  and Steve Lester as the double bass faculty of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.  Greg is a former Contrabass Conversations guest (you can hear him on episodes 19 and 35) and has contributed many news items, videos, and other [...]

Chicago Youth Symphony Teddy Gabrielides recently sent me a link to this video of Matteo Gaspari performing the Dittersdorf Concerto…with a mandolin orchestra!  Check it out:

Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-1799) Concerto E-Major (Allegro moderato) for Double Bass and Mandolin Orchestra, played by Matteo Gaspari (Double Bass, Kontrabass), Mandolin Orchestra Ettlingen / Germany, www.mandolinenorchester-ettlingen.de, arranged by [...]

 

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This week we feature an interview with and music from the Chicago Bass Ensemble. Group founder Jacque Harper joins former Contrabass Conversations guests Michael Hovnanian and Doug Johnson plus double bass blogger John Floeter to create the core quartet of this ensemble.
The Chicago Bass Ensemble will be performing at Northern Illinois University on February [...]

Though I’ve never been a member of the New World Symphony (only subbing in the past), I have had dozens of friends and colleagues who’ve spent time in this exciting and educational South Florida orchestra. Serving as the training orchestra for the United States (sorry, Civic Orchestra of Chicago–you’re just not the same thing), [...]

The February 2008 edition of International Musician, the monthly publication from the American Federation of Musicians, contains a feature on this site and the various satellite projects that I have developed during these past few years of blogging and podcasting, including Arts Addict, Inside the Arts, and Contrabass Conversations.
This feature contains several references to [...]

Michael Hovnanian on Boulez
From Michael: “Boulez also has a charmingly offhand way of dismissing the sort of know-it-all questions from players that tend to crop up when a so-called ‘important’ conductor takes the podium.”
(tags: chicago symphony double bass blog)

The Collaborative Piano Blog: YouTube of Talk to the Hand from Jerry Springer the Opera
(tags: humor classical [...]

We got sucker-punched by the worst snow storm of the season this year, causing most of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra to be one or two hours (!) late to our dress rehearsal.  It took me 1 1/2 hours to go nine miles for one stretch, and three hours for the whole drive there.  Aaargh!
I’ve [...]

This is a guest post from bassist John Floeter - johnfloeterbassstudio.blogspot.com
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The Chicago Bass Ensemble will be performing in DeKalb at Northern Illinois University as the featured artists for the All-School Convocation at 11am on February 14th,2008. This will essentially be a 50 minute concert with a minimal amount of lecture. Although it is a required [...]