Double bass

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Welcome to the double bass studio at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music!  

Our bass students study in depth the art of solo, orchestral and chamber music double bass performance. During their time at the College of Music, students focus on rich, resonant and lyrical tone production, moving around the fingerboard with effortless left-hand dexterity, playing with a strong sense of rhythm, cultivating awareness and control of pitch and—most importantly—finding one’s own unique voice for musical expression. Students have the opportunity to develop these skills through weekly private lessons, studio performance and technique classes, symphony orchestra, chamber music and improvisation studies designed for classical players. 

At the heart of the College of Music bass studio is our commitment to empower each undergraduate and graduate student to be expressive and creative, find their musical voice, and learn to play with confidence and strength. There is a spirit of camaraderie among double bass students that creates a supportive environment, inspiring each student to achieve their best. The well-rounded curriculum of the College of Music and the double bass studio further ensure our students’  broad technical and musical foundation for achieving success in careers as double bass performers, pedagogues and more.

Susan Cahill

Susan Cahill

Associate Professor of Bass Susan Cahill has been a bassist with the Colorado Symphony since 1997. Before joining the symphony, where she held section and acting assistant positions, Cahill was on the faculty of the University of Denver and principal bass of the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans. She is also a member of the faculty of the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, a member of the Grand Tetons Music Festival and a guest musician with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. As a solo and chamber performer, Cahill has performed with and is a member of several ensembles. As a founding member of Grande Orquesta Navarre and member of Extasis, she has performed across the country as well as internationally. Cahill has an active teaching career and has taught and presented master classes at numerous institutions and conventions worldwide. As a member of the faculty of the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, she is known for her teaching and coaching of the double bass chamber repertoire as well as her cutting-edge performances of the bass solo and chamber music literature. MORE

 

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Performing in the College of Music: Double bass players perform in various College of Music large ensembles including the CU Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, Early (Baroque) Music Ensemble and Jazz Ensembles. Additionally, students can participate in our World Music ensembles. Smaller ensembles include bass duos, trios and quartets, chamber music groups—coached by College of Music string faculty and our Grammy award-winning Takács Quartet—and jazz combos.

Professional performing outside the College of Music: For both classical and jazz bass players, performance opportunities in the local musical community abound. College of Music double bassists perform professionally as regular members and substitutes with orchestras including the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Ballet, Opera Colorado, Boulder Philharmonic, Fort Collins Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic and the Cheyenne Symphony. Jazz players gig throughout Metro Denver.

The business side of music + Muscians’ Wellness Program: Two valuable resources available to all our music students are the College of Music’s Entrepreneurship Center for Music and Musicians’ Wellness Program. The ECM offers classes and workshops that teach students the business side of music and how to create opportunities for themselves as they develop careers as professional musicians. The many offerings of our Musicians’ Wellness Program include Alexander Technique training, body mapping and more.

Double majors: The College of Music supports undergraduate students who pursue double majors in music and other fields. Current and past College of Music double bass performance majors pursue double majors with music composition, business, bioscience, chemistry, computer science, engineering, literature, physics, pschology and many other fields. Students pursuing a double major receive expert support and guidance from our staff who work closely with the other colleges on campus to ensure that our students stay on track to complete both degrees.

Jazz bass students receive lessons in the classical area from Susan Cahill and in jazz studies from Bijoux Barbosa.

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Contact

Susan Cahill
Associate Professor of Double Bass
susan.cahill@colorado.edu
303-492-4918
Imig Music Building, C133

 

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