| Lisa Riddering, Editor December, 2009 |
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ON SALE NOW
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NEWS OF NOTE
Ed Barker will give the Boston premiere of John Harbison's Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra with the Boston University Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday, December 8th at 7:30 PM at the Tsai Performance Center.
On Saturday, January 16, 2010, Butler University in Indianapolis will host the annual Butler-Midwest Bass Day. Host David Murray will be joined by Diana Gannett, Phillip Serna and others in a day filled with student performances, masterclasses, demonstrations, a mass bass All-Play, and a clinicians' concert. Events begin at 9am and conclude at 5pm in the recently renovated Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall in Robertson Hall, Butler University. Admission for the one-day event is free. For more information, contact host david Murray, dmurray@butler.edu or 317-940-8404.
Applications are now being accepted for Canada's National Arts Centre 2010 Young Artists Program as part of its Summer Music Institute, a program that develops exceptional music talent through intensive instruction led by artistic director Pinchas Zukerman and an internationally-renowned faculty. Deadline for applications is Monday, February 1, 2010. Go to http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/education/professionaltraining/youngartistsprogramme/index.cfm. Catalin Rotaru just returned from a 3-week concert tour in Bucharest and Romania. He performed the Koussevitzky concerto with the Enescu Philharmonic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20nn7ZbqVzU, and the Haydn cello concerto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRwZJ-WBjkg. The Haydn concerto performance was part of a gala concert that included a 40-person double bass orchestra celebrating Professor Ion Cheptea's 80th birthday. Happy birthday from the ISB, Professor Cheptea!
Presenters and attendees gathered for a group photo at the 2009 Texas Double Bass Symposium held at Texas Christian University, Yuan Xiong Lu, director.
ISB member Joe Johnson was honored as the 2009 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composer's Competition grand prize winner in Washington, DC. The composer's competition, presented by the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and BMI, was established in 1993. In recognition of his award-winning composition "Shepherd Song," Joe received a $10,000 reward from the institute. A Fellow at the Henry Mancini Institute for two years, he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas, and recently completed his master's degree at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at Loyola University in New Orleans. He now lives in Brooklyn, NY, where he is a composer and sound designer. Way to go, Joe!
There are 7 guys and one gal in The Ohio State University bass studio of Paul Robinson, so what better way to celebrate Halloween and the 75th anniversary of the classic Disney film "Snow White and Seven Dwarfs" than to dress like the movie? Paul, a true film buff, even matched all the colors to the original character color grid from the Disney production office. Can you name them all?
 The Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China held its Third Double Bass Competition, November 17-21, 2009. 34 participants from 13 conservatories and orchestras nationwide competed in two groups, ages 19 to 30 and age 18 and younger. Entrants played concerto repertoire by Bottesini, Dragonetti, Dittersdorf, Françaix, Koussevitzky, Rota and Vanhal. The jury included Massimo Giorgi (Italy), Liu Peiyan, Wei Baozheng, Zhu Gongqi and Zong Bo (chair). The director of the double bass teaching and research group at the Central Conservatory, Professor Chen Ziping, was in charge of the competition. Winners of the junior group were: 1st prize, Jiang Can and Li Gengfeng; 2nd prize, Deng Fangting and Liu Tianyao; and 3rd prize, Zhang Jianze. The winners of the senior group were: 1st prize, Lv Chengyin; 2nd prize, Xv Jingying and Zhang Tianshu; and 3rd prize, Cai Jieqi and Li Na. Professor Massimo Giorgi held masterclasses and played a recital as the grand finale of the competition. For more information go to http://basschina.com. ISB life member Roland Wallace has been named the 2009 Kendall/Pelton "Musician of the Year Award," given annually to a person who has made a major contribution to the Midland, Michigan music community. He will receive the award at the Grand Rapids Ballet Company's performance of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" on Saturday, December 5th at the Midland Center for the Arts. Congratulations, Roland!
 The bass section of the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra (left to right) are Matt Hogan, Jared Henderson, Tom Mitchell, Charlie Rosen, Edward Skipka and Alex Muri, principal bass. Not pictured are Alex Toth and Johannes Heger. The orchestra's repertoire includes not only standards, but also original compositions by Berklee faculty and students, contemporary orchestral music from around the globe, and contemporary genres such as film scores and video game music. Their second season opening concert included the world premiere of Quiet Earth: A Fantasie for Orchestra, by assistant chair of the Berklee composition department James Russell, and arrangements of the music of Pink Floyd by Angel Quinones of Venezuela.
 The first and only biography to date of jazz bassist Scott LaFaro has been published by the University of North Texas Press. Written by his sister, Helene LaFaro Fernandez, Jade Visions tells the story of one of the 20th century's most influential jazz musicians. Best known for his recordings with Bill Evans, he played bass a mere seven years before his life and career were tragically cut short by an automobile accident at age 25. The book combines an intimate look at his family along with insights into LaFaro's music and career by Gene Lees, Don Thompson, Jeff Campbell, Phil Palombi, Barrie Kolstein, Chuck Ralston and many others. Hardback, 352 pages, including never before published photos. $25 plus shipping and handling at http://www.isbstore.com/miscellaneous.html.
 The perfect companion to the Scott LaFaro biography Jade Visions is the newly released CD, Pieces of Jade. Listen to some of LaFaro's earliest recordings with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca, plus a 1966 interview with Bill Evans, over 20 minutes of an Evans and LaFaro rehearsal, and "Memories for Scotty," a solo piano tribute by Don Friedman. A must-have for fans of jazz and every bassist now available at the ISB Online Store, with a portion of proceeds from sales benefitting the ISB's Scott LaFaro Prize fund. $15 plus shipping and handling at http://www.isbstore.com/miscellaneous.html.
The George Vance Young Bassists Education Fund, established in honor and memory of the late George Vance, and will be dedicated to offering educational opportunities for young bassists. Send donations payable to the International Society of Bassists and addressed to the George Vance Young Bassists Education Fund, International Society of Bassists, 14070 Proton Rd., Suite 100, LB 9, Dallas, Texas 75244. The ISB is a 501(C)(3) organization and all donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
FESTIVALS, COMPETITIONS, AUDITIONS
Go to www.isbworldoffice.com/competitions/composition.html to view and/or download guidelines for the 2010 ISB/David Walter Composition Competition. $1,000 grand prize in three categories, plus world premiere performances at the 2011 ISB Convention.
Mark your calendars for the XIX University of Georgia International Double Bass Symposium, February 5-7, 2010, with special guest artist Joel Quarrington. For more information contact director Milton Masciadri at mmasciad@uga.edu or 706/542-2779.
The Bradetich Foundation announces the inaugural International Double Bass Solo Competition, June 16-20, 2010, hosted by the University of North Texas College of Music in Denton, Texas, USA. The competition is open to anyone under the age of 35 as of the first day of the competition June 16, 2010, and who has not given a formal New York City debut concert. The International Double Bass Solo Competition endeavors to identify emerging international artists and to provide career advancement and leadership opportunities. First place includes a $10,000 cash prize. For competition rules or additional information on the Inaugural International Double Bass Competition, contact Maria Harman, 940-368-5395, mharman@bradetichfoundation.org or go to www.bradetichfoundation.org.
The next World Bass Festival in Wroclaw, Poland will take place 8-14 of August 8-14, 2010, with one-day competitions for both classical and jazz bassists. For more information email artistic director Irena Olkiewicz at olkiew3@poczta.onet.pl.
The International Johann Matthias Sperger Society, www.spergergesellschaft.de, announces the 6th International Sperger Competition for Double Bass, to be held September, 2010, in Germany (date and location TBA.) The competition will be limited to 50 participants. Deadline for applications is July 31, 2010. First prize is 5,000 Euros. Details on the program, jury and applications will be posted soon at www.spergerwettbewerb.de. For information contact artistic director Klaus Trumpf, Meistersingerstr.7, D-14471 Potsdam, Germany, tele/fax:+49-(0)331-512556, info@klaus-trumpf-sperger.de. After the success of Paris2008, next comes Berlin2010, an international double bass festival and competition, October 5-10, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. For more information go to www.bass2010.com. The 2010 Stulberg Competition at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo will take place Saturday, February 27, 2010. Judges will be the members of the Juilliard Quartet. The application deadline is Dec 18, 2009. Top prize is $5,000 plus a performance with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. For information go to www.stulberg.org, call 269/343/2776 or email stulbergcomp@yahoo.com.
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