Podcasts about national orchestral institute

Performance psychologist Noa Kageyama (NY License #19280) is on the faculty of The Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music. A conservatory-trained violinist with degrees from Oberlin and Juilliard before completing a Ph.D. in counseling psychology at Indiana University, Noa now specializes in working with performing artists, teaching them how to utilize sport psychology principles and more consistently perform up to their full abilities under pressure.He has conducted workshops for institutions ranging from Northwestern University, New England Conservatory, Peabody, Eastman, Curtis, McGill University, and the U.S. Armed Forces School of Music, to programs such as the Starling-Delay Symposium, The Perlman Music Program, and the National Orchestral Institute, and for organizations like the Music Teachers' National Association, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the Sphinx Organization, the Performing Arts Medicine Association, and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.Noa's work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, CNN, Slate, TED-Ed, Musical America, Strings Magazine, Strad, and Lifehacker. He has taught over 8000 musicians, educators, and learners through his online courses, and authors The Bulletproof Musician - a performance psychology blog and podcast which reaches over 45,000 subscribers every week.www.bulletproofmusician.com

It's Tacet No More's first show on the road in front of a live audience! Joe and Yumi take the Gildenhorn stage at The Clarice at the University of Maryland. The University of Maryland's National Orchestral Institute + Festival brings together aspiring orchestral musicians from across the country for a month of dynamic music-making and professional exploration, and Yumi and Joe serve as faculty. Thanks to Richard Scerbo, Director of NOI, for the invitation to bring Tacet No More to the stage and open up an opportunity for students to ask questions about navigating interpersonal and organizational dynamics in symphonic spaces with courage and openness.Learn more at www.tacetnomore.com and follow us on Instagram @tacetnomore. Tacet No More is produced by Joseph Conyers, Yumi Kendall, Andrew Mellor, and Lindsay Sheridan. Cover art photography by Pete Checchia.

This season we are kicking off our first interview episode with Noa Kageyama! Noa shared with us his journey into performance psychology for musicians, how performance psychology can benefit musicians, and what it looks like to work with him.  Noa Kageyama bio: Performance psychologist Noa Kageyama is on the faculty of The Juilliard School and is a performance coach for the New World Symphony in Miami, FL. A conservatory-trained violinist with degrees from Oberlin and Juilliard before pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology at Indiana University, Noa now specializes in working with performing artists, teaching them how to utilize sport psychology principles and more consistently perform up to their full abilities under pressure. He has conducted workshops at institutions ranging from Northwestern University, New England Conservatory, Peabody, Eastman, Curtis, McGill University, and the U.S. Armed Forces School of Music, to programs such as the Starling-Delay Symposium, The Perlman Music Program, and the National Orchestral Institute, and for organizations like the Music Teachers' National Association and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.  Noa's work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, Musical America, Strings Magazine, Strad, and Lifehacker. He maintains a private coaching practice and online mental skills courses, and authors a performance psychology blog and podcast called The Bulletproof Musician. The Bulletproof Musician  Show Notes: Oberlin Conservatory of Music Juilliard  New World Symphony  Don Greene Deliberate Practice Model Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown  The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey  Performance Success by Don Greene 10 Minute Toughness by Jason Selk 

This episode is part of our series in collaboration with the hosts of the Classical Gabfest Podcast - conductors Tiffany Lu, William White, and Kensho Watanabe. Please go check out their show, and their episode featuring us! (Apple Podcasts) Conductor Tiffany Lu hails from Tampa, FL as well as the D.C.-Maryland region. In 2020, she joined the faculty of Sewanee University of the South as Visiting Assistant Professor and Music Director of the Sewanee Symphony Orchestra. Lu currently also serves as Conducting Associate of the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival (Hancock, ME), Assistant Conductor with the Prince Georges' Philharmonic (Bowie, MD), and Associate Conductor with the Capital City Symphony (Washington, D.C.). During the 2019-2020 season, Lu debuted as guest conductor with Symphony New Hampshire and the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra. From 2015-2020, she was Music Director of the Wilmington Community Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor with the Capital City Symphony, creating groundbreaking and creative programming. She was also selected as Conducting Fellow for the Allentown Symphony in 2019 and 2020. Tiffany's diverse skill set includes professional work as a performing violinist (Chattanooga Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony Orchestra), music librarian (Sewanee Summer Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, DC Youth Orchestra Program, and the Music School of Delaware), and recording producer (Smithsonian Chamber Players, Virginia Symphony Orchestra). She also co-hosts a podcast, The Classical Gabfest.​ Lu holds degrees from Princeton University, Ithaca College, and the University of Maryland. -- We're super excited to announce that we're piloting a database of opportunities for creatives like you! The database features scholarships, grants, internships, & more. It will be updated monthly with new links, opportunities, and deadlines. All you have to do to access the database is sign up for our newsletter at creativebaggagepodcast.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/creative-baggage/support

Our sponsor: Houghton Hornswww.houghtonhorns.comDavid Cohen is the Associate Principal Trumpet of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He joined the MSO in 2013 after playing Principal Trumpet with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra for three seasons. Outside of the MSO, Mr. Cohen has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Alabama Symphony, and has played guest principal trumpet with orchestras all over the world, including the Fort Worth Symphony, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, and the Malaysian Philharmonic.Mr. Cohen received his Bachelor's of Music from Northwestern University where he studied with Barbara Butler and Charles Geyer. He was appointed Principal Trumpet of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra during his senior year of college.  He spent one summer attending the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland and two summers as a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, Massachusetts. Mr. Cohen has had additional studies with Thomas Rolfs and Christopher Martin.  Mr. Cohen is on faculty at the DePaul School of Music in Chicago.Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)

Joe chats with performance psychologist Noa Kageyama about his musical journey starting with training with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki as a young musician to learning how to practice as a teenager and getting his undergraduate degree from Juilliard. He shares what studying with an olympic sports psychologist taught him about navigating performance anxiety and the insight that prompted him to learn the secrets of peak performance while getting his Doctorate in Psychology. Ultimately, whether standing on a stage at Lincoln Center, or in a classroom in front of the next generation of world class musicians, Noa shares insights about effective practice, the building blocks of confidence and so much more to inspire us on our journey as lifelong learners. Who is Noa? Performance psychologist Noa Kageyama is on the faculty of The Juilliard School and is a performance coach for the New World Symphony in Miami, FL. A conservatory-trained violinist with degrees from Oberlin and Juilliard before pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology at Indiana University, Noa now specializes in working with performing artists, teaching them how to utilize sport psychology principles and more consistently perform up to their full abilities under pressure. He has conducted workshops at institutions ranging from Northwestern University, New England Conservatory, Peabody, Eastman, Curtis, McGill University, and the U.S. Armed Forces School of Music, to programs such as the Starling-Delay Symposium, The Perlman Music Program, and the National Orchestral Institute, and for organizations like the Music Teachers' National Association and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Noa's work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, Musical America, Strings Magazine, Strad, and Lifehacker. He maintains a private coaching practice and online mental skills courses, and authors a performance psychology blog and podcast called The Bulletproof Musician. website: bulletproofmusician.com facebook: facebook.com/bulletproofmusician instagram: @bulletproofmusician Upcoming projects: I've begun offering live classes for music professionals and educators as well as for amateurs and lifelong learners. More info at: bulletproofmusician.com/courses Noa's (current) favorite quote: E.E. Cummings — 'It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.' Notes: Anders Ericsson on Larry King: on the science of expertise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gn3f8sEb8Y Dr. Suzuki https://suzukiassociation.org/about/suzuki-method/shinichi-suzuki/ Julliard https://www.juilliard.edu/ Sports Psychology https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sports-psychology-2794906 Daily Writing Practice (don't break the chain/atomic habits) https://jamesclear.com/stop-procrastinating-seinfeld-strategy Sports Psychology for Dummies https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8318638-sports-psychology-for-dummies Grit-Angela Duckworth https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en

Podcast sponsorwww.houghtonshorns.comSteven Woomert joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as Associate Principal Trumpet in 2014. He has appeared as the Acting Principal Trumpet of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and has performed with the Barbados Classical Pops All Star Orchestra, New World Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.Born in Toronto, Steven began his musical studies at age five on violin and added trumpet studies at age 11. He completed his Bachelor of Music degree at Northwestern University, where he studied with Barbara Butler, Charles Geyer, and Christopher Martin. While he was at Northwestern, he was a member of the school’s entry that won First Prize in the Ensemble Division at the 2012 National Trumpet Competition. Steven continued his studies at The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory in Toronto where he studied with Andrew McCandless. In 2013, he was the winner of the International Trumpet Guild Orchestral Excerpts Competition. Steven has participated in many summer festivals, including the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, National Academy Orchestra, Banff Festival Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, and Spoleto Festival USA.Steven and his father Barton have commissioned and recorded a CD of brand new music for two trumpets and piano, entitled Tandem. Besides performing, Steven enjoys joining some of his TSO colleagues on their volleyball team (The Gustav Bahlers).Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)

For this episode, I bring you a powerful conversation with world-renowned Alexander Technique teacher Lori Schiff. As Lori shares on her website, the Alexander Technique “is a method for living better through your own mindfulness in action.”  It can help you gain confidence and reduce pain, tension and fatigue. It allows you to connect with yourself to nourish presence and mobility and, from there, leads to performing better in all areas of your life. Lori expands on: How Alexander Technique affected her life and her journey Who the Alexander Technique is for What the Alexander Technique is: a method for living that teaches us to pay attention and choose our reactions to stimuli How the Alexander Technique encourages the connection with our self – our wholeness – and the development of conscious control (mind body connector) How the Alexander Technique is a means to more freedom, for the whole person and their whole life How it can help in class and in lessons, in the practice room, and on stage This is an information and inspiration packed episode and I know you will appreciate Lori's knowledge and wisdom and lover her energy as much as I did!   MORE ABOUT LORI SCHIFF: Website: http://lorischiff.com/ Ms. Schiff is a full-time professor of The Alexander Technique at The Juilliard School and a guest teaching artist for various schools and organizations nationally and internationally. She has been a faculty member of The Juilliard School since 1991 and was in residence at The Aspen Music Festival and School from 1993 - 2015. Ms. Schiff joined The Riverside Initiative for The Alexander Technique as Associate Director and Senior Teacher for Teacher Training in 2018. Ms. Schiff was Certified as a Teacher of the Alexander Technique at ACAT-New York in 1987. She continued with years of postgraduate training with Walter and Dilys Carrington at the Constructive Teaching Centre in London. She is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Music in Trumpet Performance and has her Masters in Music from Manhattan School of Music. She served as the Alexander Technique Teacher for the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artists Development Program, and at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. She also served on the senior faculty of the American Center for the Alexander Technique's Teacher Certification Program. Institutions where she has been a guest teaching artist include: The New World Symphony, The U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point, The U.S. Army Field Band and U.S. Army Soldier's Chorus, The San Diego Symphony, ToneBank International Music Festival, National Youth Orchestra of China, University of Maryland Opera Studio, and The Internationale Meistersinger Akademie in Neumarkt, Germany. She has presented Master Classes at institutions including The Metropolitan Opera, Opera America, West Point Military Academy, Fort Meade, The Academy (ACJW) at Carnegie Hall, Manhattan School of Music, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, The National Orchestral Institute, The Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra and The New York Youth Symphony, Theater Aspen, MorseLife Senior Residences, and Holland and Knight, LLP. In 2013, she assisted in organizing and taught the Alexander Technique for actress and playwright, Anna Deavere Smith's Acting and Empathy course in San Francisco. She returned to San Francisco in 2014 to work with Ms. Smith's course, Personal Narratives: Global Identities. Ms. Schiff is a recognized senior teacher of the Alexander Technique by the American Society for the Alexander Technique and has presented master classes at the AmSAT Annual Meetings in San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Las Vegas, New York City, Boston, and Minneapolis. She was a guest lecturer on Teaching the Alexander Technique in schools of music for The International Congress for the Alexander Technique in Lugano, Switzerland. Ms. Schiff served on the Board of Directors of the Aspen Music Festival and School as Chair of the Music Committee for nine years and was President and Chairman of the Board of The American Center for the Alexander Technique for five years. More recently, she completed two years on the Board of Directors of The American Society for the Alexander Technique. Ms. Schiff has a private Alexander Technique practice in NYC. She is the founding director of Flight Feather Productions, LLC, an organization for creating and supporting uplifting educational experiences for corporate and artistic communities. With composer Lance Horne, she is the Co-Director of Creativity Lab, a program for inspiring community and collaboration through collective creativity. As a committed recreational runner, she has completed four marathons, several half marathons, and countless 10ks, 5 Milers, 4 Milers, and 5ks.   Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome!  This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! Don't forget to visit the Mind Over Finger Resources' page to check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use everyday!  Find it here: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources!   And don't forget to join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for additional resources on practice and performing! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support!     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction!  You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/    

Hosts John Devlin and Enrico Lopez-Yañez discuss developing excellent preconcert lectures in the 4/4. Then, UpBeat welcomes guest Richard Scerbo, Director of the National Orchestral Institute+Festival. The conversation includes discussions about running a top-tier summer festival, selecting guest conductors, and all of the various conducting positions Richard holds that contribute to a well-rounded artistic life.

Ethan Bensdorf joined the New York Philharmonic’s trumpet section on June 3, 2008, after spending the 2007–08 season as acting assistant principal trumpet with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra in Naples, Florida. He received his bachelor of music degree from Northwestern University in 2007, where he studied with Barbara Butler, Charles Geyer, and Christopher Martin. While a student at Northwestern, Mr. Bensdorf spent two years performing with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and also performed with the New World Symphony and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s contemporary ensemble, MusicNOW. In May 2005, Mr. Bensdorf was selected to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts representing Northwestern University as part of “The Conservatory Project” recital series. In September of 2006, Mr. Bensdorf received the Armando Ghitalla International Trumpet Classic Award, which included solo appearances with the United States Coast Guard Band and the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra in Massachusetts. He also spent two summers as a participant in the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan; one summer at the National Orchestral Institute in Maryland; and was selected as a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in the summers of 2006 and 2007, where he received the Voisin Trumpet Award.Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)

It was a pleasure chatting with Lizzie Burns about the fascinating career that she has carved out for herself in the music world.  Lizzie spent six years studying in Boston while maintaining an active freelance career. She was a founding member of Phoenix and the Pianosofia Chamber Players; a fellow of Symphony Nova; and has been heard many times in Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and at the American Repertory Theater. Lizzie has appeared at Yellow Barn, both as a summer participant and as an artist-in-residence, and has served as principal bass of both the chamber and symphony orchestras at the National Orchestral Institute. We talk about her path toward music school, how Don Palma inspired her to head down the path that she’s now on, advice for people looking to explore a career in chamber music, and much more. We chatted on February 25h for the podcast, and much has changed in the world in the intervening weeks, but I hope that you enjoy taking your mind off of these concerning times with this engaging and thoughtful conversation with Lizzie! I’d also like to thank the sponsors who have supported us over the months and years. If you’d like to help the bass community recover as quickly as possible, consider visiting their site and making a purchase: D’Addario Strings Upton Bass The Bass Violin Shop Steve Swan String Bass Kolstein Music A440 Violin Shop Modacity

Ben's Website - www.benwrighttrumpet.comBenjamin Wright enjoys a varied career, performing as a member of the Boston Symphony, as a soloist and chamber musician, and teaching. Wright joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra trumpet section in July 2002 as fourth trumpet. From 2006 to 2009, he was acting assistant principal trumpet of the BSO, and in 2010 became second trumpet.Wright began playing the violin at age three, and the trumpet when he was ten. He hails from a long line of musicians going back to his great-grandfather, a bandleader and cornetist in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. Wright studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy and received his bachelor’s in music at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 1996 Wright won the International Trumpet Guild and National Trumpet competitions, as well as the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition, and was awarded the Bernard Adelstein Prize for trumpet performance upon graduating in 1997.Following two years as a member of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Wright spent two years as fourth trumpet in the Chicago Symphony. He has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra. His appearances as guest principal trumpet with the San Francisco Symphony included performances of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony.Benjamin Wright has given masterclasses at the Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, Yale, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Arizona, Temple University, Mannes, SMU, Baylor, Yale, and Interlochen Center for the Arts. He has been a guest faculty member for the Bar Harbor Brass Institute, the National Orchestral Institute, and, since 2003, faculty at the Tanglewood Music Center.His students have performed as members of the Atlanta, Dallas, Utah, Sarasota, and Seattle Symphonies, as well as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and orchestras in Asia.Mr. Wright is a Yamaha Performing Artist.Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)

Karel Butz is the Head Orchestra Director at Beckendorff Junior High School in Katy, Texas. He previously taught orchestra in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Houston, Texas) and Carmel Clay Schools (Carmel, Indiana) in addition to serving as adjunct violin faculty at Purdue University. His orchestras have performed at the Midwest Clinic and are consistent UIL Sweepstakes Winners, Texas Honor Orchestra State Finalists, and National Honor Orchestra Winners in the Foundation for Music Education Mark of Excellence Competition. Under his direction, the Beckendorff Honor Orchestra was named the 2019 Texas State Honor Orchestra and 2019 Houston Cup Winner. He is a frequent guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician around the country. His music is published by Musica Propria, Inc. and has been performed worldwide at several venues such as the Midwest Clinic, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Indiana University String Academy, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Conference, and several all-state and region honor orchestras. His book Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom (2019) is published by Oxford University Press. Mr. Butz has performed in several orchestras, including the National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, and Spoleto Festival USA. He served as an Associate Instructor for string techniques and music theory at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In addition, he taught violin for the Indiana University String Academy, Music for All Summer Symposium Orchestra Division, and the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute. He is a freelance violinist in Houston. Mr. Butz is a member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA), Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), and American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Mr. Butz received both his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Violin Performance with high distinction from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where his principal violin instructors were Nelli Shkolnikova and Mimi Zweig. He completed doctoral coursework in music education at Indiana University. Links: Karel's Website Textbook: Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom Amazon Link --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/orchestrateacher/support

I'm really honored to have violinist Violaine Melançon on the show this week to discuss her views on the skills young musicians need to develop to become well-rounded artists. As you'll get to hear, Violaine is an artist of great depth and a dedicated pedagogue with wonderful wisdom and empathy.  I'm certain that you will resonate with her message and walk away inspired and motivated In our conversation, Violaine expands on: The importance of choosing a teacher that will be a good fit The wonderful teaching philosophies of Isadore Tinkleman, which created “searching musicians” and fostered thinking and creativity in his students The importance of learning to listen and trust your ear Becoming a “Searching Musician” The importance of being versatile How and how long we should practice What summer festivals can bring to a young musician's development How much we learn when we teach The importance of having a good balance between routine, consistency, and variety Listening to yourself as if you were your own best student (which will help you listen better and assess what is objectively) Her main “engines:” curiosity, creativity in problem-solving, and yoga Her wise advice to students Her beautiful actionable tip: find a way to be inspired every day     Don't forget to visit the Mind Over Finger Resources' page to check out amazing books recommended by my podcast guests, as well as my favorite websites, cds, the podcasts I like to listen to, and the practice and podcasting tools I use every day!  Find it here: www.mindoverfinger.com/resources!   And join the Mind Over Finger Book Club in the Tribe!  We meet HERE, and we'll begin 2020 with The Inner Game of Golf by Tim Gallwey!   Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome!  This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! TURN THE METRONOME ON AND START PRACTICING BETTER AND LEARNING FASTER RIGHT NOW!  GET YOUR FREE METRONOME GUIDE TODAY AT www.mindoverfinger.com!!!!     MORE ABOUT VIOLAINE MELANÇON: Website: https://www.violaineMelançon.com/     An artist deeply dedicated to the range of violin and chamber music repertoire, violinist Violaine Melançon is Associate Professor of Violin at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, and serves on the violin and chamber music faculties of the Peabody Conservatory. She was for thirty years the founding violinist of the Peabody Trio which was ensemble-in-residence at the Peabody Conservatory from 1987 to 2016. After winning the prestigious Naumburg Chamber Music Award in 1989, the Peabody Trio established itself as an important presence in the chamber music world as vivid interpreters of the classics of the repertoire, advocates for new music, and dedicated teachers and mentors to a generation of young musicians. As a member of the Peabody Trio, Ms. Melançon gave a New York debut in 1990 at Alice Tully Hall and has performed in the most important chamber music series in North America, including New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, Denver, Vancouver, Montreal, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Indianapolis, Dallas, Honolulu, Memphis, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Portland, St. Louis, Boston and Philadelphia. With them, Ms. Melançon toured internationally, frequently performing in England, making repeat appearances at London's Wigmore Hall, and in Japan and Israel.   She has a special affection for the music of today and is a serious interpreter of works of Gyorgy Kurtag, Mauricio Kagel and Zhou Long. The Israeli composer Shulamit Ran wrote a violin concerto for her and she has premiered several works by other leading composers. Among the artists with whom she enjoys collaborating are pianists Leon Fleisher, Gilbert Kalish and Peter Frankl, soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson, and violist Roger Tapping.   During the spring of 2012, she presented the complete works for solo violin by J.S. Bach. She performs recitals annually, exploring unusual gems of the solo and violin-piano duo repertoire. Ms. Melançon is from Québec, Canada. After receiving First Prize in violin at the Conservatoire de Musique, she continued her studies with Ivan Galamian at the Curtis Institute of Music, with Isadore Tinkleman at the San Francisco Conservatory and with Arthur Grumiaux in Belgium. While at Curtis, she was a member of the Nisaika Quartet, prize winner of the 8th International String Quartet competition in Evian, France. Ms. Melançon is also the recipient of many awards for solo performance including the 1984 Prix d'Europe. In 1983, she formed the Knopp-Melançon Duo, an artistic collaboration which would eventually expand to become the Peabody Trio. In 1987, as a result of having been appointed USIA Artistic Ambassadors, the duo toured abroad extensively and made their Washington, DC debut at the Kennedy Center. Since then, her activities as a chamber musician, soloist with orchestras, and teacher have taken her to major music centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Japan.   She has participated in many summer festivals as violinist, teacher and guest artists, including those of Tanglewood, Ravinia, Skaneateles, Rockport, Orford, and Domaine Forget. She gives yearly masterclasses at the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and teaches regularly at NOI, the National Orchestral Institute and Festival. For many years, she has served on the faculty of Yellow Barn   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/    

There's a reason that great works in classical music have stuck around for so long. Once upon a time, it was all music composed by  groundbreaking artists, churning out new sounds and ideas never heard before. But at some point, it's like someone somewhere decided that the canon was complete. Why? In this episode, National Orchestral Institute director Richard Scerbo and recent GRAMMY nominee/past winner David Alan Miller (Albany Symphony Music Director) talk about the groundbreaking composers of the past and present.   Music in this episode:     Special thanks to Todd Reynolds for his music, Taskforce: Farmlab from Outerbourough. 

In this episode, I speak to Nick Plattoff, Associate Principal Trombone of the San Francisco Symphony since 2016.  He and I talk about the audition process and how he went about to prepare for his SFS audition, how audition day was like, and how he prepared to step in to his new life as a professional musician in one of America's top orchestras.  We cover: His path, growing up with parents that fostered a culturally rich environment for their children Why he says music is a form of love How he came to choose the trombone and what was his motivation to keep playing The influence on summer camp in his decision to become a musician How he decided to put his multiple musical interests on hold while working on his trombone skills, and how that paid off What New World Symphony brought him, outside of the practice room and stage How deciding to focus solely on the audition process was crucial His audition plan and how he prepared for the audition     ALL ABOUT NICK PLATOFF:   Nick's website: https://www.platoffmusic.com/ San Francisco Symphony – about Nick: https://www.sfsymphony.org/About-Us/Musicians-Conductors/Members-Of-Orchestra/Trombones#artist-30720 San Francisco Symphony – Profile of Nick Platoff: www.sfsymphony.org/nickplatoff   YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT5z0tsqrLxgMFfyVuwaz8w Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sfsymphony/videos/308411646590076/ Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/nickplatoff/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickplatoff   Biography In April 2016, Nicholas Platoff was appointed the Associate Principal Trombone of the San Francisco Symphony by Michael Tilson Thomas. He has been recognized in both national and international competitions, as winner of the Aspen Music Festival and School Brass and Percussion Concerto Competition, National Brass Symposium Trombone Excerpt Competition and United States Coast Guard Band Young Artist Competition. In September 2015, he was the only American to advance to the second round of the ARD competition in Munich. Prior to joining the SFS, Platoff spent two years as a fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami. He earned his Bachelors of Music degree with Brass Department Honors, majoring in Trombone Performance and Music Theory from Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music. He is also a proud alumnus of New Haven's Neighborhood Music School. His teachers include Michael Mulcahy, Per Brevig, Christopher Davis, Peter Ellefson, Terrence Fay, Randall Hawes, Timothy Higgins, and Douglas Wright. Platoff's experience in artistic planning dates back to high school, when he co-produced a day-long music festival in his backyard to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In college, he founded the Players' Operation Chamber Orchestra and served as its conductor and artistic director, presenting concerts that featured student soloists and premiered student compositions. During his time with the New World Symphony, he produced and curated “MIXTAPE,” the first-ever concert of the New Audience Fellow Initiative, which offered a multi-genre program to a standing room audience. He is also a committed educator and works weekly as the low brass section coach for the award-winning SFS Youth Orchestra. He was a co-founder of the Miami Brass Festival, a day-long clinic for young brass players. His trombone students have been accepted to many of the top music programs in the country, including the Manhattan School of Music and San Francisco Conservatory, as well as the Interlochen Arts Academy and Boston University Tanglewood Institute. During the summers, Platoff has performed at the Verbier Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Britten-Pears Programme, the National Orchestral Institute, and the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he was the Per Brevig Trombone Fellow. In the summer of 2017, he performed at Festival Mozaic, the Lakes Area Music Festival, and Burning Man.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Spending time with Jack Unzicker was a major highlight of my trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  Jack is an assistant professor at The University of Texas at Arlington and is one of the most professionally active bassists in the region. We dig into all kinds of topics, like: what Jack's professional life looks like where the bass is headed what possibilities look like for music students private teaching modalities of practice Links to Check Out: Jack's Website Jack's UT-Arlington Faculty Page Jack and Jason chatting for Viva el Bajo Live in 2017 (YouTube) More About Jack: Jack Unzicker is the Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Texas at Arlington and is a sought-after performer and educator. He has extensive and varied experience in all performance areas, from early music to contemporary, solo, chamber, and orchestral, as well as jazz and electric bass. He maintains an active performing schedule, over 300 performances since his appointment at UT Arlington in 2012. Raised in Juneau, Alaska, he began his musical studies with piano, guitar, and percussion and began performing as a professional bassist and teaching private lessons at the age of fourteen. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of North Texas, where he studied solo and orchestral performance, orchestral conducting, jazz studies, and early music with Jeff Bradetich, Paul Sharpe, Bill Clay, Anshel Brusilow, Lynn Seaton, and Lenora McCroskey. Dr. Unzicker earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Western Washington University where he studied jazz studies, performance, and contemporary music with Chuck Israels, Anna Doak, and Roger Briggs. Dr. Unzicker continued his studies at the Henry Mancini Institute, working with Bertram Turetzky, Christian McBride, and John Clayton, the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, and the Pirastro Strings Elite Soloists Program. In 2016, Dr. Unzicker was a featured soloist with the Dallas Chamber Symphony, performing Hindemith’s Trauermusik. Upcoming projects include a recording for commercial release in 2017, of an ongoing duo project. This duo project is in collaboration with Dr. Martha Walvoord, UT Arlington violin professor, and contemporary composers to commission, perform, and record new works for violin and double bass. Composers include six-time Grammy-award winner Michael Daugherty, Roger Briggs, Andrea Clearfield, Tom Knific, George Chave, and Daniel M. Cavanagh. The duo will perform a recital at the International Society of Bassists 2017 Convention in Ithaca, NY on June 10, 2017. Dr. Unzicker’s recent chamber music performances include the Adams Chamber Symphony, Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, 2, 3, & 6, Beethoven Septet, Bruch Octet, Ginastera Variaciones Concertantes, Prokofiev Quintet, Stravinsky L’Histoire du soldat, and Brahms Sextet in B-flat Major, Svendsen Octet, and Schubert Octet with members of the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, and professors from Rice University and the University of North Texas. Dr. Unzicker is also principal double bass of the Dallas Chamber Symphony and Santa Fe Pro Musica. As an orchestral musician, Dr. Unzicker has performed with the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Opera, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Holland Symphony, Waco Symphony, and as principal of the AIMS Festival Orchestra (Austria), Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Divertimento (Costa Rica), and Plano Symphony Orchestra. He has worked extensively with conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, as well as Jaap Van Zweden, Otto Werner-Mueller, Larry Rachleff, Rossen Milanov, James Conlon, Anshel Brusilow, and Gunther Schuller. As a pedagogue, Dr. Unzicker serves on the board of the Bradetich Foundation, a double bass performance and education organization, and is the Bass Forum Editor for the journal American String Teacher. He has been featured in articles on playing and teaching the double bass in The Strad, Bass World, American String Teacher, and Strings Magazine and frequently performs, adjudicates, and presents at the International Society of Bassists, American String Teachers Association, and Texas Music Educators Association Conventions. In the summers, he performs and teaches as Artist Faculty and as the Assistant Director of the Annual Bradetich Double Bass Master Classes. Current and former students of Dr. Unzicker have been accepted to undergraduate, graduate, and summer programs at the Colburn School, Juilliard School, University of Southern California, Boston University, Indiana University, University of North Texas, Florida State University, University of Texas, North Carolina School of the Arts, New World Symphony, Curtis Institute of Music Summerfest, Aspen Music Festival and School, National Orchestral Institute, National Repertory Orchestra, Interlochen Arts Camp, Round Top Music Festival, Texas Chamber Music Institute, and the WaBass Institute. The double bass studio at the University of Texas at Arlington has proudly hosted many guest artists recently, including Artist-In-Residence Eddie Gomez, Ira Gold, Milton Masciadri, Jeff Bradetich, Brian Perry, Aaro Heinonen, and the Bassinova Quartet. Dr. Unzicker performs primarily on instruments by Daniel Hachez and Albert Jakstadt, and a bow by Reid Hudson. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:   The Upton Bass String Instrument Company.  Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr.  Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which  offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

This is serious, people. Classical music has a long and meaningful history in cartoons that is no laughing matter. Just kidding! There is a really long history, but it is hilarious, and so is this episode. Richard Scerbo, Director of the National Orchestral Institute and Festival and founder and artistic director of the DC-based and Grammy-nominated Inscape Chamber Orchestra, takes us on a tour of that history. Find out the practical, social, and financial reasons behind Looney Tunes use of classical music, and how cartoons both poked fun at the music and made it fresh for new audiences. Hear examples of the classical music the cartoons draw from and examples of how the music was rearranged to suit the needs of Porky and Bugs. And, um, that’s not all, folks. Music in this episode: The Bartered Bride (Dance of the Comedians) by Bedrich Smetana “Zoom and Bored” (Warner Bros. cartoon featuring Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner) Hungarian Rhapsody No2 by Franz List “Rhapsody in Rivets” (Warner Bros. cartoon) “A Corny Concerto” (Warner Bros. cartoon narrated by Elmer Fudd) The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II Tales from the Vienna Woods by Johann Strauss II “Ride of the Valkeries” from Die Walküre by Richard Wagner “Kill the Wabbit” from What’s Opera, Doc? (Warner Bros. cartoon featuring Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny) Audio production by Mark “The Martian” DiClaudio and Todd “Tweety” Hulslander with onomatopoeia by Dacia Clay.  

Welcome to the National Orchestral Institute and Festival’s podcast series. Throughout this year’s edition of NOI we will be sitting down with visiting artists, administrators, composers, and participants in the festival for brief question and answer sessions to get their take on the state of music in 2016. Today I sat down with Richard Scerbo, the director of NOI+F. After four weeks of work, he took the chance to reflect on what this year's festival has been, what he hopes to see in the future, and how his work outside of NOI impacts his time at the festival. Find out more about Scerbo at: http://www.richardscerbo.com/ The NOI+F website can be found here: http://theclarice.umd.edu/series/2016-national-orchestral-institute-and-festival The schedule and more information about the Clarice can be found here: theclarice.umd.edu/

Welcome to the National Orchestral Institute and Festival’s podcast series. Throughout this year’s edition of NOI we will be sitting down with visiting artists, administrators, composers, and participants in the festival for brief question and answer sessions to get their take on the state of music in 2016. Today I’m eager to share my conversation with conductor Teddy Abrams. At just 29 years old, Abrams has already had a sensational career. He has been a conducting fellow with the New World Symphony and the assistant conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He is currently the music director of the Louisville Orchestra and the Britt Festival Orchestra. Abrams is also an accomplished composer and performer. He was able to make time between rehearsals of this grueling program to talk to me about the pieces he had chosen, the role of musicians and orchestras in their communities, and a new work he had just recorded in tribute to Muhammad Ali. Find out more about Abrams at: http://www.teddyabrams.com/ The NOI+F website can be found here: theclarice.umd.edu/series/2016-nat…te-and-festival The schedule and more information about the Clarice can be found here: theclarice.umd.edu/

Welcome to the National Orchestral Institute and Festival’s podcast series. Throughout this year’s edition of NOI we will be sitting down with visiting artists, administrators, composers, and participants in the festival for brief question and answer sessions to get their take on the state of music in 2016. In the second part of my conversation with Sam Adams, we turned from his work "Drift and Providence" to more general discussion about music. For more about Adams, see his website: www.samuelcarladams.com/ The NOI+F website can be found here: theclarice.umd.edu/series/2016-nat…te-and-festival The schedule and more information about the Clarice can be found here: theclarice.umd.edu/

Welcome to the National Orchestral Institute and Festival’s podcast series. Throughout this year’s edition of NOI we will be sitting down with visiting artists, administrators, composers, and participants in the festival for brief question and answer sessions to get their take on the state of music in 2016. Today I got the chance to talk with composer Sam Adams about his "Drift and Providence," which the NOI orchestra is recording with Naxos Records. For more about Adams, see his website: http://www.samuelcarladams.com/ The NOI+F website can be found here: http://theclarice.umd.edu/series/2016-national-orchestral-institute-and-festival The schedule and more information about the Clarice can be found here: http://theclarice.umd.edu/

Welcome to the National Orchestral Institute and Festival’s podcast series. Throughout this year’s edition of NOI we will be sitting down with visiting artists, administrators, composers, and participants in the festival for brief question and answer sessions to get their take on the state of music in 2016. Today I got the chance to talk to Jim Undercofler about what it takes to succeed in music. Jim is the former Dean of the Eastman School of Music, former President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and recent past director of NOI. He is currently the acting dean of the school of music at SUNY Purchase.

We're bringing you an interview with double bassist Charles DeRamus on Contrabass Conversations this week. Charles is a member of the Gothenburg Symphony and has worked extensively in both Europe and the United States during his professional career. Charles has recently written a children's concert for double bass quartet and narrator called "Greta's Dream" which has been performed at many venues in the United States and Sweden. This piece will be performed at the 2011 International Society of Bassists Convention in San Francisco, so be sure to check out their session if you can attend the convention. Following the interview, we feature two excerpts from a live performance of Greta's Dream (right around the 57 minute point in the podcast if you want to jump right to them), and more information about this piece will be provided in the coming months. Be sure to check out the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Bass Quartet on Facebook--they've got a great page!   About Charles:  Charles DeRamus has a career that spans from North America to Scandinavia, where he is currently a member of the Gothenburg Symphony and has worked extensively with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Malmo? Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. In the United States he has performed, recorded and toured with the Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Virginia Symphony, and the Colorado Music Festival. His studies include degrees from Indiana University and Rice University, after which he was a member of the New World Symphony and participated in numerous summer festivals including Tanglewood, Schleswig-Holstein, National Repertory Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival, and the National Orchestral Institute. Equally at home in various musical venues, Charles has performed with the Houston Grand Opera, Atlanta Opera, Ohio Light Opera, NorrlandsOperan, Malmo? Opera, as well as the Dayton Bach Society, the contemporary ensemble “Black Box Band”, Sweden’s acclaimed new music ensemble Gageego, and the Persian/European influenced Rumi Ensemble. Recent solo engagements include a unique performance with the National Orchestra of Sweden for a concert celebrating newly naturalized Swedish citizens, as well as performances of Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango and Beethoven’s F Major Romance with the Eureka Symphony in the United States. Charles is a dedicated teacher and currently serves on the faculties of the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Festival Programs. Previously he has served on the All-State at Interlochen and University of Michigan Summer Arts Institute faculties, as well as given masterclasses in Norway, Sweden, the United States, and at the Royal College of Music and Yehudi Menuhin School in England. As a composer/arranger, in the 2010/11 season Charles will celebrate the premier performances of “Greta’s Dream”, his newly written children’s concert for Double Bass Quartet and narrator. Following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, Charles is the third generation bassist in his family.

We’re concluding our chat with Michigan State University and Interlochen Arts Academy double bass instructor Jack Budrow this week on Contrabass Conversations. In addition to helping place students in major orchestras across the globe, Jack has had a very distinguished performance career as a former member of the Houston Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and as Principal Bass of the North Carolina Symphony. About Jack Budrow: Jack Budrow is professor of music and co-chair of the string area at the Michigan State University College of Music. He has enjoyed a long and varied career in double bass performance and teaching. Budrow has been a member of the Houston Symphony, and principal bass of the North Carolina Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, and the American National Opera orchestras. A well-known teacher, Budrow’s students play in many of America’s symphony orchestras, including Cincinnati, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Charleston, San Antonio, the Michigan Opera, and the Army Band. Internationally, he has placed students in the Oslo Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Munich Radio Orchestra, and the Caracas Symphony.Each summer, Budrow teaches at Interlochen Center for the Arts and Indiana University. He serves on the board of directors of the International Society of Double Bassists, and was a judge for their most recent International Solo Bass Competition. Budrow has presented master classes throughout the United States, including the Cleveland Institute, Florida State University, University of Houston, Indiana University, University of Michigan, Peabody Conservatory, and University of Texas. In addition, he served as the bass section coach at the National Orchestral Institute and New World Symphony. Budrow received his B.M. from Bowling Green State University.

We’re continuing our chat (check out part one on episode 73) with Michigan State University and Interlochen Arts Academy double bass instructor Jack Budrow this week on Contrabass Conversations. In addition to helping place students in major orchestras across the globe, Jack has had a very distinguished performance career as a former member of the Houston Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and as Principal Bass of the North Carolina Symphony.  Jack discussed several topics of great interest to double bass students and performers with co-host John Grillo and me, including: musical leadership and qualities of good principal bassists qualities found in good conductors how music students are seeing fewer and fewer concerts emotion in music – country music’s got it limitations of rock music in conveying emotion body maintenance and how to stay healthy as a bassist We also feature music from double bass performer and composer Peter Askim. Learn more about Peter at his websitewww.peteraskim.com. Enjoy! About Jack Budrow:Jack Budrow is professor of music and co-chair of the string area at the Michigan State University College of Music.He has enjoyed a long and varied career in double bass performance and teaching. Budrow has been a member of the Houston Symphony, and principal bass of the North Carolina Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, and the American National Opera orchestras. A well-known teacher, Budrow’s students play in many of America’s symphony orchestras, including Cincinnati, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Charleston, San Antonio, the Michigan Opera, and the Army Band. Internationally, he has placed students in the Oslo Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Munich Radio Orchestra, and the Caracas Symphony.Each summer, Budrow teaches at Interlochen Center for the Arts and Indiana University. He serves on the board of directors of the International Society of Double Bassists, and was a judge for their most recent International Solo Bass Competition. Budrow has presented master classes throughout the United States, including the Cleveland Institute, Florida State University, University of Houston, Indiana University, University of Michigan, Peabody Conservatory, and University of Texas. In addition, he served as the bass section coach at the National Orchestral Institute and New World Symphony. Budrow received his B.M. from Bowling Green State University. About Peter Askim: Active as a composer, conductor and double bassist, Peter Askim is the Music Director and Composer-in-Residence of the Idyllwild Arts Academy. He has been a member of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and served on the faculty of the University of Hawaii-Manoa, where he directed the Contemporary Music Ensemble and taught bass, theory and composition. He has had commissions and performances from such groups as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Honolulu Symphony, Orchestra Asia-Japan, the International Society of Bassists, the Yale Symphony Orchestra, the Idyllwild Arts Orchestra, the Portland Chamber Music Festival, and Serenata Santa Fe, as well as by performers such as flutist/ conductor Ransom Wilson, Metropolitan Opera soprano Lauren Flanigan and Grammy-nominated soprano Judith Kellock. His compositions are published by Liben Music Publishers, Discordia Music and the International Society of Bassists, and his music is recorded on the Gasparo and Albany labels. Musical Selection: Edge for Solo Double Bass – written and performed by Peter Askim

We’re chatting with Michigan State University and Interlochen Arts Academy double bass instructor Jack Budrow this week on Contrabass Conversations. In addition to helping place students in major orchestras across the globe, Jack has had a very distinguished performance career as a former member of the Houston Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and as Principal Bass of the North Carolina Symphony. Jack discussed several topics of great interest to double bass students and performers with co-hostJohn Grillo and me, including repertoire he uses in his teaching, essential skills for auditioning, and how the educational orientation has changed for music performance students over the past few decades. We chatted at great length with Jack for this interview, and we’ll be wrapping up the remainder of this interview in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more great content with this influential and engaging music educator and performer in the coming weeks. Enjoy!   About Jack Budrow: Jack Budrow is professor of music and co-chair of the string area at the Michigan State University College of Music. He has enjoyed a long and varied career in double bass performance and teaching. Budrow has been a member of the Houston Symphony, and principal bass of the North Carolina Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, and the American National Opera orchestras. A well-known teacher, Budrow’s students play in many of America’s symphony orchestras, including Cincinnati, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Charleston, San Antonio, the Michigan Opera, and the Army Band. Internationally, he has placed students in the Oslo Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Munich Radio Orchestra, and the Caracas Symphony. Each summer, Budrow teaches at Interlochen Center for the Arts and Indiana University. He serves on the board of directors of the International Society of Double Bassists, and was a judge for their most recent International Solo Bass Competition. Budrow has presented master classes throughout the United States, including the Cleveland Institute, Florida State University, University of Houston, Indiana University, University of Michigan, Peabody Conservatory, and University of Texas. In addition, he served as the bass section coach at the National Orchestral Institute and New World Symphony. Budrow received his B.M. from Bowling Green State University.

We’re wrapping up the interview with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeff Turner that we began on episode 26 of the podcast, plus featuring music from U.K.-based bassist Leon Bosch’s new album titled The British Double Bass on this week’s episode of the podcast. About Jeff Turner: Principal Bass Jeffrey Turner joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1987. He served as Principal Bass of the New American Chamber Orchestra from 1984 to 1986 and became a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1986. Mr. Turner, a native of South Carolina, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester. His teachers include James VanDemark, Lawrence Hurst and Robert Gladstone. Mr. Turner serves on the faculties of Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon University. He is the Artistic Director of the City Music Center’s Young Bassist Program, and gives annual seminars and master classes at universities and conservatories throughout the world. He has also served as Visiting Professor at the Eastman School of Music and Lecturer at the University of Maryland. Mr. Turner has been a resident artist for many annual festivals including the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and the Korsholm Festival in Finland. He has been featured as a presenter at the conventions of The International Society of Bassists, and has served on the faculty of The Asian Youth Orchestra (Hong Kong) under the direction of Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Mr. Turner is a faculty member of the National Orchestral Institute. As winner of the Y Music Society’s Passamaneck Award, Jeffrey Turner appeared in a critically acclaimed recital at Carnegie Music Hall in 1989. He was also a winner of the 1990 Pittsburgh Concert Society’s Artist Award. About Leon Bosch: Leon had to overcome many difficult circumstances in the early years of his career. He was arrested by members of the Cape Town special branch when he was just 15 years old for demonstrating against the Apartheid government outside of parliament. He faced a month’s detention and torture, only to be found not guilty on all charges. This experience fired up his ambition to become a lawyer, but this field of study was forbidden to him by the regime at the time. He then chose to study a subject that would be the least likely to mark him out as subversive – music. Had Bosch been able to pursue his prime aspiration to become a lawyer, the cello/double bass debate might never have occurred. Born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1961, Bosch was forbidden by the repressive regime of the time to study law, so applied to the University’s music faculty instead `as a light-hearted prank.’ The `prank’ soon turned more serious. Once enrolled at the University, Bosch studied with Zoltan Kovats, principal double bassist of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra at that time. A single year into his studies, the young student was invited to play in the Symphony Orchestra’s bass section alongside his mentor. Only another 12 months passed before he was giving his first solo performance of Dittersdorf ’s concerto in E major. Completing his Batchelor of Music Performance degree at the University, he received the highest mark ever awarded there in a performance examination. Post-university, Bosch quickly realised that he would have to study abroad if he really wanted to further his performance career, but was thwarted once again by the apartheid laws which decreed that overseas scholarships could only be given to white performers. However, Bosch was undeterred. `I had a passionate commitment to the double bass and never enter- tained the idea that I would fail in my pursuit’, he asserts. Fortunately, a number of private individuals came forward to sponsor his travel to England where he was heard playing by Rodney Slatford, the former Head of School of Strings at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), who offered to teach him. Bosch enrolled at the RNCM following a successful interview with Eleanor Warren to study with Slatford and Duncan McTier. He describes his time at RNCM as `extremely fruitful’. Bosch’s prestigious record of achievements also continued there, as he received the College’s PPRNCM (Professional Performer of the RNCM) with distinction, the first such award to a double bassist in the College’s history. Studies completed, Bosch embarked on the varied professional orchestral and chamber career that continues to this day. His first assignment was with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, moving onto The Manchester Camerata as principal in 1985. His playing career has also taken in the BBC Philharmonic, Hall, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Opera North and Scottish Chamber orchestras, plus the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Brodsky Quartet and Goldberg Ensemble as a freelance performer, a career path that he chose to `give me greater variety in my playing.’ A decade after his first principal appointment, Bosch began his current association with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, touring with the orchestra’s founder, Sir Neville Marriner. `Chamber music represents the most enjoyable part of my musical life,’ he enthuses, explaining why he has focused on this area through most of his professional career – which has taken in almost all of the major chamber orchestras in the UK.

This week we continue our look at training for young orchestral players -- In Washington DC, Christopher talks with 3 participants in the National Orchestral Institute programme and we hear several excerpts of Richard Strauss' Eine Alpensinfonie played by the NOI under the baton of James Ross on June 16 of this year.

It is my pleasure to bring you this great interview with Pittsburgh Symphony principal bassist Jeff Turner for this week's episode of Contrabass Conversations. Jeff has excellent advice for musicians, and he reflects on his early years on the instrument in this very engaging interview. You will also be hearing a double bass feature from the Lascivious Biddies on this episode. Enjoy! About Jeff Jeffrey Turner is the Director of Orchestral Studies at Duquesne University, where he serves as conductor of the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra. A native of South Carolina, Mr. Turner holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master's degree in conducting from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied with Dr. Robert Page. He has served in recent years as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Live Chamber Orchestra, and Artistic Director of the City Music Center Chamber Orchestra from 2004 - 2009.  Locally, Mr. Turner has also conducted opera productions at CMU, as well as Honors Orchestra Festivals for the Pennsylvania Music Educator's Association.  Mr. Turner is also the Principal Bassist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. His teachers include James VanDemark, Lawrence Hurst and Robert Gladstone. Before joining the PSO in 1987, Mr. Turner was the Principal Bass of the New American Chamber Orchestra from 1984 to 1986, and played with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for the 1986-87 season. As winner of the Y Music Society's Passamaneck Award, Jeffrey Turner appeared in a critically acclaimed recital at Carnegie Music Hall in 1989.  He was also a winner of the 1990 Pittsburgh Concert Society's Artist Award. Jeffrey Turner has served as Visiting Professor at the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, and the University of Maryland, and as a faculty member of Carnegie Mellon University. At Duquesne, Mr. Turner has also served as Chair of Strings and as Artistic Director of City Music Center's Young Bassist Program. Mr. Turner gives annual recitals, seminars, and master classes at universities and conservatories throughout the world, and serves as resident artist for annual festivals including the Pacific Music Festival, The National Orchestral Institute, the Korsholm Festival (Finland), Indiana University's Summer Music Festival, and The Asian Youth Orchestra (Hong Kong).  Mr. Turner has been a faculty member for International Workshops in Graz, Austria; Lausanne, Switzerland; and Glasgow, Scotland. He is featured as recitalist, clinician, and competition judge at the conventions of The International Society of Bassists. From 1988-92 Mr. Turner was the Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Project, a yearly series of concerts and educational programs featuring Pittsburgh's finest musicians in collaboration.