Calling out to the double bass nation! ISB member Casey Abrams just made it to the semi-finals of the 2011 season of American Idol. Even if you're not a regular viewer, stay tuned and be sure to vote bass, vote Casey, early and often!  

Esperanza Spalding coaching Gene Knific during a recent jazz masterclass at Western Michigan University.

Congratulations to Stanley Clarke for his 2011 Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, and to bassist/vocalist/composer Esperanza Spalding for her 2011 Grammy Award as Best New Artist. 

Bert Turetzky celebrated his recent birthday at the Idyllwild Academy of the Arts, where he gave a masterclass. Pictured L to R are Alejandro Barron, jazz bass instructor Marshall Hawkins, Bert, Michael Minor and Josephine Kim.

Volkan Orhon performed Bottesini's Concerto No.2 with the Muscatine (Iowa) Symphony Orchestra on February 12th at 7:30 at the Muscatine Center for the Performing Arts.

Click here for guidelines and entry forms for the 2011 ISB Double Bass Competition. Application deadlines for orchestra and age 14 and under is March 15th.  

Attention, bass makers, click here to download rules and entry form for the 2011 ISB Maker's Competition.

Xavier Foley, age 16 was second prizewinner in the junior division of the 2011 Sphinx Competition, held in Detroit, Michigan. The Marietta, Georgia native competed against all instruments in the string family as the only bassist in either the junior or senior division. He was principal bass with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2009-2010, and was first prize winner in the age 14 and Under division of the 2009 ISB Double Bass Competition.

 

The Swedish Cultural Ministry is sending bassist-composer Tuomo Haapala and filmmaker Håkan Wennström to a school where they stage what Haapala calls a "Fantasy-attack" for solo bass and film. He arrives unexpected in a classroom and starts playing pieces from his collection "Music for the Deep Violin"  (www.isbstore.com/printed-music.html). After 10 minutes, Wennström comes in and starts filming while the music continues. Everything is projected on a wide screen. Then Wennström kneels down and puts his camera lens in front of the f-hole of Haapala's bass and a fictional journey is projected on the screen, including worms in the earth, a cow in a green field, and a football match. The pupils are then invited to create their own projects combining music and film. The grand finale will be a music and film festival at the Valla School in Katrineholm, Sweden on April 14th.
 

Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla 2010 has announced its Giraldillo prizes. ISB member Renaud Garcia Fons received an award, the first for a bassist from this organization, for his performance in "Sin muros!" 

Tarisio Auctions has launched a $10,000 string instrument grant designed to help young musicians at the start of their careers. The Tarisio Matching Grant Program awards up to $10,000 of matching funds towards the purchase of a string instrument or bow in one of Tarisio's fine auctions. It is open to players aged under 30 who are currently enrolled in or have graduated from a music performance degree program. The winner is drawn at random two weeks before the auction. There are four auctions per year, two in London and two in New York. Application deadline for the upcoming March 2011 auction in London is February 24^th. Application deadline for the May 2011 auction in New York is April 22^nd. For more information and to apply, go to http://tarisio.com/pages/about/grantinfo.php.

 

Double bass stolen in Mendoza (Argentina): Laureano Melchiori reports that robbers entered her house and took her Agustin Rosso bass, 2005, 4/4 size, light brown almost yellow color, dark brown walnut ridge, ebony fingerboard. On the upper back part of the bass it has an unusual rhomboid carving, and it also had a brown and black bass bib. It is missing the tuning peg of the D string. Email edhison@gmail.com with information.

 

The American Federation of Musicians will again be supporting a provision for musical instruments as carry-on/checked luggage on airplanes in the FAA reauthorization bill in 2011. Due to other issues within the bill, it did not pass this year and must be reintroduced. The AFM will again seek a uniform national policy regarding musical instruments that will apply to all major airlines. In order to gain support in Congress for this legislation, the AFM must demonstrate that musicians have problems every day with airline travel. Send your personal stories of airline travel issues to Hal Ponder at hponder@afm.org, or Laura Brigandi, lbrigandi@afm.org. In order to be relevant, the complaint should be about an occurrence within the last year.

Bret Simner is in the U.S. giving a series of programs on the history of the Viennese bass. "An Introduction to the Viennese Violone" will examine the rise and fall of the instrument through its tuning, construction, repertoire, virtuosi and more: March 7th, 12:20 PM, University of Massachusetts in Amherst;  March 16th, 5 PM, New England Conservatory.

San Francisco Symphony principal bass Scott Pingel will play the Karr-Koussevitzky Bass, gifted to the ISB by its founder, Gary Karr, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on March 7th, and at University of Washington on March 13th.

Matthew McDonald, principal bass of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and newly-appointed Visiting Professor of Double Bass at the Royal Academy of Music in London, will give a free masterclass, working with students from the Academy, on Friday, March 18th, 2-5 PM, in the Henry Wood Room, Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London NW1 5HT. For more information go to www.ram.ac.uk.  

The Vecchione/Erdahl Duo, Carrie Vecchione, oboe, and Rolf Erdahl, bass, presents a "Lunch and Learn" recital of original works for oboe/bass duo on Friday, March 25th at the Rochester Arts Center, Rochester, Minnesota. Works by Goplerud, Mann, Clearfield, free and open to the public, brown bag or reserve lunch for $8.50 at 507-252-1314. Lunch at 11:30, program 12-12:45 PM.
 

San Francisco Symphony principal bass Scott Pingel will play the Karr-Koussevitzky Bass, gifted to the ISB by its founder, Gary Karr,  with the Vanhal concerto with The Academy Orchestra on April 3rd, with the Schulhoff Trio (with flautist Cathy Payne and violist Nancy Severance) on the San Francisco Symphony Chamber Music Series on April 10th, and the Bottesini Grand Duo at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on April 29th as a benefit.

Dan Styffe, co-principal bass of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music, will premiere a new bass concerto by Swedish composer by Rolf Martinsson, with conductor Jukka Pekka Saraste and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in Osklo on April 7th. The performance will be recorded for CD release.   

Gottfried Engels is teaching a course for double bass at the State Academy for Music in Heek, Germany, April 15-21, 2011. For more information go to www.landesmusikakademie-nrw.de/kursangebot/instrumental/kontrabass/.  

On April 16, 2011 at 7 PM, Mark Morton, assistant professor of double bass and Renee Skerik, associate professor of viola at the Texas Tech University School of Music, will perform Evan Chambers' "Fischerstreet Duo" for viola and bass in the Hemmle Recital Hall.

The 7th Annual Iowa City Bass Day, hosted by University of Iowa professor of bass Volkan Orhon, takes place April 23rd at the University of Iowa School of Music with guest artist Anthony Stoops, professor of bass at the University of Oklahoma. For more information go to www.volkanbass.com.   

MAY 

Go to www.barcelonabass.com for more information on a double bass weekend in Barcelona, Spain, May 28th-29th, organized by Jonathan Camps of the l'Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya and professor of bass at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya.    

JUNE

The North Texas Double Bass Camps at the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, feature four opportunities for summer study that meet the needs of bass students of any age or playing ability.  The 23rd annual Bradetich Master Classes, June 13-17, 2011.  The Beginners and Intermediate Bass Camp, June 15-17, 2011.  The Pirastro Strings Elite Soloists Program, May 30 - June 3, 2011; and the Lynn Seaton Jazz Bass Workshop, June 13-17, 2011. For information go to http://music.unt.edu/strings/untbasscamp.shtml. 

The Hammond Ashley Memorial Double Bass Workshop will be held at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington, June 27-July 1, 2011, offering advanced classes with Max Dimoff, principal bass of the Cleveland Orchestra and Jeff Bradetich. Beginner, intermediate and adult classes will be taught by Todd Gowers, Ben Musa and Miriam Chong. Contact Todd Gowers at toddgowers@wwdb.org.    

JULY  

Miloslav Jelinek will give solo and chamber music masterclasses July 16th through August 7th, in Brandys and Labem and Prague, Czech Republic. For more information and an application, go to 

http://www.ameropa.org/main.htm.  

Duncan McTier will hold his annual masterclass at the Académie de Musique Tibor Varga in Sion, Switzerland, from July 18th-23rd.See www.amsion.ch for details.
 
 ISB past president Hans Sturm will teach bass and coach chamber music at the Benefic Chamber Music Camp, July 31st - August 6th at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The week-long camp for ages 15 to 20 includes daily chamber music coachings, private lessons focused on mastering assigned chamber music repertoire, masterclasses (including Boris Astafiev, member of the Cincinnati Symphony Bass Section), faculty concerts and student chamber music performances. Bonus programs include musician's development seminars and workshops will be offered including presentations on health and wellness, the art of recording, improvisation, sight-reading, audition preparation and instrument maintenance. The application fee is waived for students applying before March 15th and reduced tuition is offered for students applying before May 10th. For more information go to www.BeneficMusic.com.  

 
AUGUST  

The Mittenwald International Master Classes, August 1-6, 2011, with Jeff Bradetich will be held in Mittenwald, Germany. For information go to www.music.unt.edu/mittenwald.