The Chicago Symphony doesn’t pre-screen audition candidates for their orchestra, allowing anyone who sends a resume and deposit check to get an audition time. While this is an extremely egalitarian approach to the audition process (anyone who wants a...
We hope that you all enjoyed the second half of our interview with double bass luthier Barrie Kolstein this past weekend. If you missed it, you can check it out on Barrie’s Contrabass Conversations page. You can download the episode, play it while you’re...
Click below to download the Ultimate Double Bass String Guide! Download the String Guide Lyric Opera of Chicago bassist, former Contrabass Conversations guest, and faculty member at Northeastern Illinois University and the Chicago College of Performing Arts Greg...
Chicago Symphony bassist and active blogger Michael Hovnanian just put out a post recounting a highly wacky gig that he played with other members of his orchestra. This gig (on Good Friday) happened to land on the day of a freak snow storm here in Chicago, with...
Reading Michael Hovanian’s recent blog story Bad Friday made me recall (for whatever reason) a tale that a Chicago Symphony bassist told me many years ago…. Sir Georg Solti, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s longtime music director, had a reputation...
