NEWS OF NOTE
Ron Carter was named Bassist of the Year in the 2007 DownBeat Reader's Poll, the icing on the cake for a banner year. He turned 70 in May, and sold out Carnegie Hall during the JVC Jazz Festival. His latest recording, Dear Miles on the Blue Note label, is getting rave reviews. He'll be giving a left hand technique workshop at David Gage String Instruments in Manhattan on Monday, Dec. 3rd, 7:15 PM. Tickets for the David Gage Workshop Series are available from www.davidgage.com, by calling 212-274-1322, or emailing info@davidgage.com. Seating is limited. If you can't be there, go to www.mikesmasterclasses.com. Speaking of banner years, 2007 is the 30th anniversary for David Gage String Instruments. Congratulations and well done to David, Judy, Sam and everyone at DGSI!
The National Medals of the Arts and the National Humanities Medals were awarded at a White House ceremony on November 15, 2007. Among the honorees was the University of Idaho's annual Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival. President George W. Bush presented the award to University of Idaho president Tim White and the festival's artistic director John Clayton,"for preserving and promoting the uniquely American art of jazz, educating teachers and young musicians, and for continuing to explore diverse cultural connections forged by Lionel Hampton in the collaboration with the Nez Perce."
Phillip Serna has been editing an interview series focusing on the performance of early music that appears on Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog. "Perspectives on Early Bass Performance" began in the fall of 2007 and focuses on bassists who specialize in early music. Recent guests include Curtis Daily, Jay Elfenbein, Alison Mackay, International Society of Bassists president-elect Rob Nairn and Shanon Zusman. To read or listen to future installments go to Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog, www.doublebassblog.org, or the Contrabass Conversations Podcast, www.contrabassconversations.com.
The music of bassist/vocalist Jim Ferguson will be featured on the January 20, 2008, broadcast of Jazz from the Archives, produced by The Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/IJS/JazzFromTheArchives_i.html. The show airs on radio station WBGO in Newark, and will stream on the station's website at http://wbgo.org/listennow/ at 11 PM EST, 10 PM CST, and 9 PM MST that evening.
Diana Gannett was guest artist for the fourth annual Semana da Musica Festival in Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais, Brazil in October. Nearly 20 bass players came from across Brazil to take lessons with her. "Diana was the high point of the festival in many ways," says Dr. Valdir Claudino, professor of bass at the Casa da Musica in Ouro Branco and her former student. "Her presence here in Brazil at the festival gave us the opportunity for in-depth sessions on technique and musical issues. We especially loved seeing how beautiful this instrument can sound. Of course, we know that it is not that easy, but in her hands, the notes smile, making everyone rethink what might be possible."
The Polish Double Bass Society is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Serge Koussevitzky's recital in Wroclaw, Poland, on November 26, 1907. Gary Karr performed in the same place in 1995 in honor of Koussevitzky (Gary's appearance has been commemorated by a special plaque on the building). Now Polish Double Bass Society president Irena Olkiewicz will give a short lecture about Koussevitzky and present a recreation of a poster advertising the recital 100 years ago, and her students Fabia Raban and Janek Burger will perform works by Handel, Bruch, Koussevitzky and Bottesini.
Welcome, bassists of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, among the newest members of the ISB! Standing
(l to r) are Arshad Ali and Ahmad Saleem, and, seated, is Samir Basim, principal bass. Samir is performing the Dittersdorf Concerto with the orchestra.
Luthier Stefan Krattenmacher is moving his shop from Berlin to the southwest region of Germany, and a village between Freiburg and Baden- Baden and Strasborgh. He will reopen the workshop in a restored 18th century home next to the vineyards of Baden. His new address will be: Am Kirchberg 38, M�nchweier, Germany D-77955, +49 (0)7822 300 50 70. For information email stefan.krattenmacher@t-online.de, or go to www.krattenmacher.com.
Stefano Sciascia and Laura Menegozzo were both prizewinners in a recent music and poetry competition and celebration in Verona, Italy. After the reading of Laura's poem "Silenzio," Stefano performed his soundscape "Mantra 22.22" live for the first time, in a library in the heart of Verona, near the Romeo and Juliet balcony.
After freelancing in the Chicago area for over ten years, Jacques Harper has formed The
Chicago Bass Ensemble. Currently performing as a quartet, the group is a way for bass players to move from the back of the orchestra stage into the spotlight, and express their love of playing music in an intimate chamber setting. For information go to www.chicagobassensemble.com/performances.html
San Diego Symphony associate principal bass Susan Wulff and her husband, well known jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer, welcomed their new son Cameron Keezer-Wulff on Oct 30, 2007.
Double bass studies at Ottawa Suzuki Strings "Sound Encounters" music camp in Ottawa, Kansas, June 11-20, 2008, will featured guest artist Harold Robinson, principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Also on the faculty will be Dennis Whittaker, principal bass with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and instructor at the University of Houston, and bass instructor
Kristi Knecht from Kansas City. Go to www.ottawasuzukistrings.org or contact Dennis Whittaker, (713) 743-3379.
Mexican bass soloist Marco Qui�ones will perform Paul Ramsier's Eusebius Revisited with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, in Toluca, conducted by Leopoldo Miravete in early December 2007. Qui�ones and his wife, pianist Patricia Miravete, have presented five all-Ramsier programs in different Mexico City halls during the past year. On October 27 they performed another all-Ramsier program at Carlos Chavez Hall to enthusiastic audience response. This program included Eusebius Revisited, and Divertimento Concertante, plus Road to Hamelin and Low-Note Blues, which were narrated in Spanish by Edurne Rodriguez, age 15.
Roman Patkol� is the new professor of double bass at the Hochschule f�r Musik und Theater in M�nchen, Germany.
SUMMER FESTIVALS
James VanDemark and Brett Shurtliffe will be double bass faculty for the 38th International Festival-Institute at Round Top, Texas, June 1 - July 13, 2008. Call 979/249 3086 or contact program director Alain Declert at alaind@festivalhill.org. Applications are due before February 15, 2008. For more information go to http://festivalhill.org.
The ChamberArt Festival in Madrid, Spain (July 3rd-July 12th) and Ameropa Festival in Prague, Czech Republic (July 14th-Aug 5th) are still accepting applications from student and amateur bassists. The bass faculty includes Dalibor Tkadlč�k in Prague, and Alberto Pichardo and Fernando Calero in Madrid. Both cities have rich musical heritages, and performances will be in historic churches and chamber halls. For more information, visit www.ameropa.org, or email Leyla Zamora at leylazamora@yahoo.com
ON SALE NOW
Purchase selected CDs, DVDs, ISB convention wear and, coming soon, the piano version of Peter Askim's "Islands" concerto for double bass and piano, solo and orchestral tuning, at http://www.isbworldoffice.com/isb_shop/merchandise.html.
Are you selling your bass or bow? Try the ISB Online Classifieds! Sell instruments, bows, accessories, CDs or printed music. $25 U.S. for members, and $100 for non-members. For more information go to http://www.isbworldoffice.com/isb_shop/classifieds.html. |
