May Halyburton studied double bass at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. On graduating in 1994 with a BA (musical studies), a Certificate of Post Graduate Studies and the Eugene Cruft Prize for double bass, she took up the post of sub principal bass with Orquestra Simfonica de Balears, de Mallorca. Since returning…
Teppo Hauta-aho (1941-2001) was the most prolific composer in the history of the double bass and composed for every ability level, from the beginner to the virtuoso. His music is evocative and atmospheric, shaped by jazz and contemporary styles, and the influence of the dramatic and bleak landscapes and vistas of his native Finland are…
Ludvig Hegner (1851-1923) studied theory and composition with Niels Gade and in 1884 became a member of the Danish Royal Theatre Orchestra, promoted two months later to the position of Principal Bass. Alongside his orchestral duties, Hegner also gave many solo performances, often playing his own works or those of his fellow bassist-composers such as…
Anton Hegner (1861-1915) was a Danish cellist and composer and the brother of Ludvig Hegner (1851-1923), the Principal Bass of the Royal Danish Orchestra. Anton was appointed Principal Cello of the New York Symphony Orchestra by Walter Damrosch and alongside composing many works for cello – both study and recital works. The works included in…
Czech bassist-composer František Gregora (1819-1887) was Bottesini’s almost exact contemporary, albeit two years older and, although he was a respected soloist and composer his music has, on the whole, been largely forgotten. Born in Netolice, Bohemia on 9 January 1819, he showed early musical talent playing organ, piano, violin, flute and clarinet before transferring to…
Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) is recognized as the father of the Russian national school and was a great influence on several generations of composers including Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Borodin, and Tchaikovsky. His first opera, A Life for the Tsar (1836), established him as the leading composer of the day, and its national character and folk influences…
After a few years playing the piano and violin, Douglas Johnson (b.1966) switched to the double bass and earned a bachelors’ degree in music performance from Northwestern University while studying with Jeff Bradetich. During his college years, Douglas was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Institute and the Bach Aria Festival. Upon graduation, he became…
Eli Goren (1923-1999), a violinist and teacher, was leader of the Allegri String Quartet and former leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He was an influential teacher, with important posts at the Guildhall School of Music (London) and Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester), alongside teaching at the Utrecht Conservatory from 1982-88. In retirement he…
Billy Joel, born William Martin Joel on May 9, 1949, is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist1. He is often referred to as the “Piano Man” after his hit song of the same name. Joel’s music career spans several decades, and he has been a prominent figure in the pop and rock music scenes since…
Charles Gounod was a French composer, organist, and pianist, born on June 17, 1818, in Paris1. He is best known for his operas, particularly “Faust” (1859) and “Roméo et Juliette” (1867), which remain in the international repertory1. Gounod’s music is characterized by its melodic richness and its blend of romantic sentiment with classical restraint and…
