Joel Braun | View Class | About Class
Alex Hanna | View Class | About Class
Jeff Mangone | View Class | About Class
Volkan Orhon | View Performance | About Performance
Bret Shurtliffe | View Performance | About Performance
PSO Bass Section | View Performance | About Performance
About the 2023 Symposium
Presenters of the 2023 Symposium included Alex Hanna, Principal Bass of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Joel Braun, Professor of Double Bass at The University of Texas Austin; Brett Shurtliffe, Associate Principal Bass of the Buffalo Philharmonic; Volkan Orhon, Professor of Double Bass at the University of Iowa; Jeff Mangone, Principal Bass of the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra; the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Double Bass section, and Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass faculty, Micah Howard and Peter Guild.
Sponsors included Shank’s Strings, Upton Bass, discoverdoublebass.com, Ottava Imports, Guarneri House, and Heartland Double Bass.
Check out Jason Heath’s review of the 2023 Pittsburgh Double Bass Symposium!
Joel Braun Class
Mr. Braun critiqued the following students of the Carnegie Mellon Double Bass Studio:
Sruti Bapatla, Bachelor of Music: Prelude from Bach’s 1st Cello Suite
Brian Bera, Advanced Music Studies: Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2, Mvt. 1, exposition; Recitatives and Ode from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony; Brahms’ 1st Symphony, Movement 1, Letter E; Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, #9
Daniel Ryan, Master of Music: Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2, Mvt. 1, exposition; Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, Movement 1, exposition; Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, Movement 1, page 1; Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, #9
Alex Hanna Class
Mr. Hanna critiqued the following students of the Carnegie Mellon Double Bass Studio:
Nathan Graham, Advanced Music Studies: Gigue from Bach’s 5th Cello Suite; Recitatives from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony; Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, Movement 1, exposition; Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, #9
Andrew Ballard, Advanced Music Studies: Bourrees from Bach’s 3rd Cello Suite; Berlioz, Symphony Fantastique, Movement 5, Witches’ Round Dance; Bruckner’s 7th Symphony, Movement 1, E to G; Schubert’s 9th Symphony, Movement 3, B to 7 after C
Levee Stadel, Advanced Music Studies: Gigue from Bach’s 2nd Cello Suite; Bruckner’s 7th Symphony, Movement 1, E to G; Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, Mvt.1 exposition; Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, #77
Drew Collins, Master of Music: Vanhal Concerto, Movement 1, exposition; Brahms’ 2nd Symphony, Movement 1, Letter E; Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, Movement 1, development; Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, #77
Jeff Mangone Class
Mr. Mangone critiqued the following students of the Carnegie Mellon Double Bass Studio:
Andrew Ballard, Advanced Music Studies: Excerpts from Mozart’s Magic Flute, Prokofiev’s Prodigal Son, Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Verdi’s La Forza del Destino
Nathan Graham, Advanced Music Studies: Excerpts from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Act II, Stravinsky’s Firebird, Verdi’s Otello, and Strauss’ Salome
Featured Recital
Volkan Orhon, Double Bass
David Gompper, Piano
Allegro, Solo Sonata by Carl Friedrich Abel (1723 – 1787)
Surprise Solo Suite for double bass (1685 – 1986)
Intermission
Sivas from Cello Sonata – Four Cities by Fazil Say (b. 1970)
Trois Pièces pour violoncelle et piano by Nadia Boulanger (1887 – 1979)
Stella Celi (Star of Heaven) (2022) for double bass and piano by David Gompper (b. 1954)
La Muerte Del Ángel by Astor Piazzolla (1921 – 1992)
Bret Shurtliffe
“Prepared” Improvisation by Brett Shurtliffe
Caprice No. 1 by Edouard Nanny (1872-1942)
Shenandoah Loop, traditional arranged by Brett Shurtliffe
Libertango by Astor Piazolla (1921-1992), and arranged by Brett Shurtliffe
Mercy by Max Richter (b. 1966), and arranged by Brett Shurtliffe
Motivy by Emil Tabakov (b. 1947)
Late Night Loop by Brett Shurtliffe
Tuvan Commuter by Brett Shurtliffe
Hymn for Chrissy by Brett Shurtliffe
Goodbye Loop by Brett Shurtliffe
PSO Bass Section Performance
Reverie by Giovanni Bottesini, performed by Aaron White and Rodrigo Ojeda
Variations on a Sketch by Penderecki, by Peter Guild, performed by Peter Guild
Sonata No. 1 in G major, BWV 1027 by J.S. Bach, performed by John Moore and Justin Wallace
Kadenza by Teppa Hauta-Aho, performed by Brandon McLean
Elegy and Tarantella by Giovanni Bottesini, performed by Micah Howard and Rodrigo Ojeda
“Four” by Miles Davis, arranged by Jeff Grubbs, performed by Jeff Grubbs, Tania Grubbs and Eric Susoeff
“Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix, arranged for Voice and Bass Quartet by Peter Guild, performed by Tania Grubbs, Jeff Grubbs, Peter Guild, Micah Howard and John Moore
Pittsburgh Double Bass Symposium 