School of Music opens registration for Fredonia Bass Fest

An invitation is being extended to musicians – professional players, college and high school students, teachers and adult learners – to join Fredonia Bass Fest 2018, a day of performances and classes on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018, at the School of Music.

Blake Hinson	Rufus Reid

The Fredonia Bass Studio and Assistant Professor Kieran Hanlon have arranged to have guest artists Blake Hinson, assistant principal bass with the New York Philharmonic, and Rufus Reid, an internationally renowned jazz bass musician, participate in the event in Mason Hall.

Before joining the New York Philharmonic, Mr. Hinson was principal bass of the Grand Rapids Symphony, played with the New World Symphony as a fellow and performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Philadelphia Orchestra principal bass Harold Robinson and Edgar Meyer. He spent three summers at the Aspen Music Festival and School on fellowship, where he played in the Aspen Chamber Symphony and Aspen Festival Orchestra and won the 2006 low strings competition.

A premier bassist in international jazz, Mr. Reid’s reputation likewise extends to the educational arena. He is a co-creator of the Jazz Studies & Performance Program at William Paterson University. Now retired, he continues to teach, conducting master classes, workshops and residences around the world. Reid received a B.M. in Performance on the double bass at Northwestern University, where he studied with Warren Benfield and principal bassist Joseph Guastefeste, both of Chicago Symphony.

In addition to third annual high school competition in the morning, opportunities for networking and bass fellowship will be offered throughout the day.

The Double Bass Solo Competition provides an opportunity for young players from the region and beyond to compete in front of a panel of Bass Fest faculty. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places and competitors will have the opportunity to receive comments and feedback from the panel. The competition winner will be invited to perform his or her solo piece in the evening concert alongside faculty performers in Rosch Recital Hall. The competition is open to all registered high school students.

The first round of the competition is a recorded round. Applicants must submit the online competition application (with $15 fee) with a recording by Jan. 1, 2018. Finalists will be notified if they are invited to the final round of the competition, a 10-minute live performance with piano (a Fredonia accompanist will be available) during the morning of Bass Fest in Rosch.

First place prize is $250 cash, a full set of strings from D'Addario and a $1,000 scholarship to attend the Fredonia School of Music. The winner must apply, audition and be accepted to the university and the School of Music. The award is to be used during the recipient’s first year of undergraduate study as a Music major. It has no cash value and is non-renewable and non-transferable.

Second place is $100 cash and a full set of strings from D'Addario.

Third place is $50 cash and a full set of strings from D'Addario

The day-long festival opens with Double Bass Competition registration at 9 a.m., followed by rehearsals that continue to 11 a.m. The final round, with live performances that are open to the public, begins at 11 a.m.

After a lunch break, registration for non-competition participants will be held at 12:30 p.m., followed by a general welcome and competition winner announcement. Master classes with Hinson and Reid and a panel discussion with Bass Fest faculty will continue until 5 p.m. Dinner (included in registration) will be held at 5:45 p.m., followed by a faculty concert at 7:30 p.m.

Once registration for round one of the competition is completed and entry fee paid, the applicant is to prepare a double bass recording and email a link to the video to Kieran Hanlon at Kieran.Hanlon@fredonia.edu. Recordings are to be limited to five minutes.

Finalists will be notified if they will be invited to the final round of the competition during the morning.