What a pleasure it was attending the 2023 San Francisco Winter Bass Bash at Davies Symphony Hall!
The Bass Bash has been going strong for decades and is supported by the education department of the San Francisco Symphony. It brings together double bassists from across the Bay Area for a day filled with inspiring events.
Middle School Ensembles
The day began with middle and high school bass ensembles, with a featured recital at noon and a master class in the afternoon.
Bass Bash Director Richard Duke coordinates this impressive event each year. Performing in chamber ensembles is tremendous for skill development, and it’s always a pleasure to hear the results of months of hard work from these students.
Middle school performances included San Francisco Public School ensembles from Hoover, A.P. Giannini, Marina, Presidio, Roosevelt, Francisco, and Aptos Middle Schools.
This year’s Bass Bash also featured a student double bass ensemble from Redwood Middle School in Saratoga, CA.
Many of these students will participate in the weeklong Golden Gate Bass Camp, which will be held this summer from June 20th – 24th.
High School Ensembles
This year’s event featured student performers from Galileo, George Washington, and Lowell High Schools as well as Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.
The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra bass section performed an arrangement of Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov. SFSYO is a great opportunity for serious double bass students to develop their skills.
Raffle
Prior to the recital was a raffle for double bass products from sponsors and supporters like Pirastro and Steve Swan String Bass.
Recital
This year’s recital guest was Szymon Marciniak, a fabulous bass soloist and educator. Szymon performed an inspiring program with his longtime collaborator and pianist Evan Mitchell.
Recital Program for Szymon Marciniak and Evan Mitchell
- Sonata, Op. 44 by Richard Dubugnon (1968-)
- Weeping Woman from Four Scenes after Picasso by Frank Proto (1941-)
- Fantasia “Lucia Di Lammermoor” by Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889)
- Sueños (Dreams) by Andrés Martín (1981-)
Master Class
Szymon concluded the day by working with several talented young bassists from the Bay Area.
A big thanks to everyone involved in making this Bass Bash happen! Check out past coverage of the 2017, 2021, and 2022 Bass Bashes for more about this event.
