Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

This week’s Contrabass Conversations episode features an excellent interview with Indiana University double bass professor Lawrence Hurst. Double bassist (and frequent Contrabass Conversations guest) John Grillo co-hosted the interview with me. You’ll be hearing the first part of our interview this week, and we’ll be putting out more of this interview in the next few weeks.

You will also be hearing a track from the fabulous double bass virtuoso DaXun Zhang. DaXun was a student of Mr. Hurst at Indiana University, and he is currently on faculty at Northwestern University. Enjoy!

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CBC 20: Interview with Lawrence Hurst and music from DaXun Zhang

Release Date: 5/13/07
Length: 39:22
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News and Notes

-new theme song! – Eric Hochberg and Jason Heath, double basses
-visit Eric Hochberg online at www.erichochberg.com
-thanks for positive feedback on interview with Greg Sarchet
-great response to Catalin’s playing last week—more of that in future episodes
-we are going to be doing our first jazz interview this week with double bassist Eric Hochberg
-I was featured in the most recent installment of Double Bassist magazine in an article called Poducation. I am the Poducator. You cannot resist….

-This week’s interview was co-hosted by double bassist John Grillo. You have heard John on CBC episodes 6, 9, and 14, plus his recital showcase back in February of this year. John was a Mr. Hurst student at Indiana University for his undergraduate degree, and he introduces some great questions and commentary into the interview.

After the interview, we will be featuring some double bass playing from the great young double bass virtuoso DaXun Zhang. DaXun was a student of Mr. Hurst at Indiana University, and he has received international acclaim as a double bas soloist. He is current on faculty at Northwestern University just down the street from me here in Evanston, IL.

Interview with Lawrence Hurst

Lawrence Hurst is the former principal double bass for the Dallas Symphony. He is a former faculty member of Southern Methodist and Eastern Michigan Universities and former faculty member, associate dean, and chair of the string department at University of Michigan School of Music. He was honored with the Alumni Award from the University of Michigan School of Music in 1998.

Professor Hurst is former director of the University Division of the National Music Camp and is a summer faculty member of the Interlochen Arts Camp.

He is past chair of the American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition, and past president of the International Society of Bassists.

His former students can be found in many prestigious orchestras, including Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Indianapolis, and Atlanta.

He has chaired the Indiana University Strings Department for the past 19 years and has been on faculty at Interlochen for the past 40 years.

Learn more about Lawrence Hurst and his Indiana University double bass studio at http://newsinfo.iu.edu/sb/page/normal/231.html

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Music from DaXun Zhang

Beethoven Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 – mvt 3

Visit DaXun online at http://www.daxunzhang.com/
DaXun’s Biography:

The Washington Post declares, “If the bass is finally to produce a headliner, the instrument can have no better champion than Zhang,” of 24-year-old double bassist DAXUN ZHANG. Zhang has performed and toured with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, including concerts in Japan, California, and an appearance at Carnegie Hall in September 2004. He also worked with Mr. Ma to record the soundtrack to a 10-part documentary series on the Silk Road. The series aired on Japan’s national broadcast channel, NHK, and the CD was released on Sony Classical.

 

In April 2006, Zhang performed Bizet’s Carmen Fantasy in YCA’s annual Irene Diamond Concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall with Keith Lockhart conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. During the 2005-2006 season, Zhang performed with the Monroe (LA) Symphony Orchestra, the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and gave recitals at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Missouri State University, and in the Embassy Series in Washington, DC. He will perform as a member of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society II during the 2006-2007 season.

 

Zhang has appeared as soloist with Orange County’s Pacific Symphony (CA), Orchestra New England, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle (NC). He has given recitals at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (FL), the University of Georgia, Western Michigan University, the Buffalo Chamber Music Society, and in The Artist Series in Tallahassee, FL. He has performed chamber music in the La Jolla Music Society Summerfest and the Linton Chamber Music Series in Cincinnati.

 

As the first double bass player to win the Young Concert Artists Auditions in 2003, Zhang was also awarded the Claire Tow Prize, which sponsored his New York debut in the Young Concert Artists Series and the Washington Performing Arts Society Prize, which sponsored his Washington, DC debut at the Kennedy Center, as well as the La Jolla Music Society Prize, the Orchestra New England Soloist Prize, and The Fergus Prize.

 

Zhang was the first double bassist ever to win First Prize in the 2003 WAMSO (Women’s Auxiliary of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra) competition. In 2001, Zhang was the youngest artist ever to win the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition. He has also received the Grand Prize of the American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition.

 

DaXun Zhang comes from a family of bassists in Harbin, China. He has been playing the instrument since the age of nine, and studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing beginning at the age of eleven. He continued his studies in the U.S. at the Interlochen Arts Academy and received his Artist Diploma from Indiana University School of Music, where he worked with Lawrence Hurst. He is currently on the faculty at Northwestern University.

Listener Feedback

……….David Ballam wrote:

Hi Jason,
Congratulations on being mentioned in the Doublebassist (Spring 07). I just received my issue in the mail today. The title is “Poducation” and is found on p.28-29. Your blog is mentioned and given credit for this growing area of podcasting/blogging. Btw… I think the sites (Bass Blog & Contrabassconversations) really has done a lot for the bass community, not only here in Chicago, but nationally and internationally. I’m really excited to see the technology bring the bass community together. Keep up the great work.

…………Christian Dillingham wrote:

Hey Jason,

I just listened to 3 interviews from the show. I’m addicted! They’re all inspiring, and it’s really great what you’re doing. Just wanted to say thanks. Also, I’m sure Jeff Turner would be into the podcasting. Let me know if you would like to consider that, and I can get you his info.

Sign-off

Website: www.contrabassconversations.com
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