Students and attendees, along with faculty, gather for a group photo of a past Bass Fest held at SUNY Fredonia.
Two musicians who’ve performed internationally will be guest faculty, teaching area musicians of all ages, at SUNY Fredonia’s Bass Fest.
Professional musicians as well as college and high school students, teachers and adult learners join Bass Fest, held every year in Mason Hall, for a day of performances and classes presented by School of Music Associate Professor Kieran Hanlon and world-class guests. There are also opportunities for networking and bass fellowship.
Caitlyn Kamminga, assistant professor of double bass at the Academy for the Performing Arts in Hong Kong, and Tai Mashiach, a GRAMMY-nominated multi-instrumentalist, performer and composer based in Brooklyn, NY, will be guest faculty. Mr. Hanlon is delighted to welcome both to Bass Fest.
Each summer, Hanlon performs with Ms. Kamminga in the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. “She brings with her an incredible amount of orchestral and teaching experience from all across the globe, and I look forward to our Bass Fest participants having the chance to learn and grow from being around her in the way that I have,” he said.
Last year’s Fredonia Jazz Festival held at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House brought Mr. Mashiach and Hanlon together.
“I immediately sensed his deep musicianship, and following the concert in which I heard him play and also experienced some of his beautiful compositions/arrangements, I knew we had to try to get him back for an event at the college,” Hanlon said. “I'm thrilled that it worked out so soon!"
Bass Fest’s unique Pre-Professional Intensive session, held from 9 a.m. to noon, is geared to high school-aged bassists who want to learn more about possible career paths in music. It provides an opportunity to meet School of Music bass faculty members, play for faculty and receive feedback, ask questions and learn about the collegiate and professional music world.
Students must apply for consideration and will be invited to participate in Pre-Professional Intensive based on submitted application materials.
There is no additional expense for the Pre-Professional Intensive, but Bass Fest general registration is required. The deadline to apply for the Pre-Professional Intensive is Feb. 1.
Bass Fest’s general welcome for all attendees is at 1 p.m. A dinner at 5:45 p.m. is included with registration.
Students interested in the Pre-Professional Intensive should submit a five-minute recording representative of their playing and musical interests, uploaded as unlisted YouTube video and emailed to hanlon@fredonia.edu, along with a 300 to 500-word statement about why they want to be considered for the program and explain how participating would support their specific goals as a pre-professional.
A Bass Fest concert will be presented in the Juliet J. Rosch Recital Hall on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. The general registration deadline for Bass Fest is Feb. 14. Register here.
Kamminga has served as assistant principal double bass in the BCC National Orchestra in Wales and performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and London Mozart Players. She is a founding member of the Hong Kong Chamber Players.
Upon completing B.M. and M.M. degrees at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA, Kamminga joined the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra as principal double bass. She was later named associate principal of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and instructor of double bass at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts.
Mashiach, who received a full scholarship at The New School, has performed and recorded with leading artists such as Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen and Mulatu Astatke, among others, in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Blue Note New York, the Newport Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center, Pit Inn Tokyo, SFJAZZ (San Francisco Jazz) and the Montreal Jazz Festival.
His TM Street Band, a funky world music party band that brings out Mashiach’s inner-child playfulness, fusing genres with no borders, has toured Europe and frequently plays New York City clubs.
Funding support for Bass Fest is provided by the Carnahan Jackson Fund for the Humanities through the Fredonia College Foundation, and the Fredonia Bass Society and Fredonia Jazz Workshop, both Student Association groups; Erie Philharmonic, Michael Griffin of Luthier's Care and the Fredonia School of Music. The International Society of Bassists is also an event partner.
